"Leader McConnell ought to allow debate and amendments immediately — which Democrats would welcome — on commonsense, House-passed bills on democracy reform, combating the gun violence epidemic, health care, and so much more," Schumer said in a statement.

He added that "the Senate must once again become a legislative body that helps the American people, not a graveyard.”

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Both Schumer and Pelosi highlighted McConnell's comments from earlier this week in which he described himself as the " Grim Reaper " of progressive policies and pledged to use his position as Senate majority leader to block liberal bills.

“The self-proclaimed ‘grim reaper’, Leader McConnell has turned the Senate into a legislative graveyard that hurts the Senate, hurts the middle class, and hurts the country," Schumer added on Friday.

With divided government, dozens of House bills are stalled in the Senate, where Republicans aren't likely to take them up. McConnell has teed up several nominations for the Senate to clear when they return from the two-week recess on Monday.

Schumer, speaking with reporters before the current two-week recess, gave McConnell an "F" for how he was running the Senate during the first 100 days of the 116th Congress.