Gabbard pitches 'emergency, temporary' $1,000 payment to every adult as coronavirus outbreak spreads

close

Video

Tulsi Gabbard: Partisanship getting in the way of protecting Americans from coronavirus

Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard weighs in on federal and local responses to the coronavirus pandemic.

Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard denounced the partisanship surrounding the coronavirus pandemic on Capitol Hill Thursday, saying it was time to put the American people first.

"This continues to be a problem, unfortunately, where partisanship is getting in the way of just delivering what the American people need right now, especially as our country faces this crisis," Rep. Gabbard, D-Hawaii, told "Your World" guest host Charles Payne.

REPUBLICANS OPPOSE PELOSI'S CORONAVIRUS LEGISLATION, FLAGGING 'MAJOR' PROBLEMS

"Now is not the time for politics," Gabbard said. "Now is the time for leaders to step up, stand together. We are all in this together and to put the health and well-being of the American people above all else."

Earlier Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced that the Senate would remain in session next week as lawmakers work toward passing legislation to deal with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

Republican leaders have opposed House Democrats' proposed legislation, which McConnell had described as an "ideological wish list." His opposition, along with that of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has left the status of the bill in limbo.

Gabbard told Payne that it appears both sides are working on a bipartisan bill to address the crisis.

"Literally both sides are coming together," Gabbard said. "I think they're working with the administration on making sure that what we pass in Congress is something that both Democrats and Republicans have worked on to get through the Senate and get onto the president's desk as quickly as possible."

The congresswoman said she did not believe Trump's proposed payroll tax credit does enough for small businesses and those making fewer than $25,000 per year, saying she has her own proposal that would give adult Americans $1,000.

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

"What I am proposing is an immediate, emergency, temporary universal basic payment that goes directly to every adult American in this country to help them in this dire situation where most Americans in this country, they're working paycheck to paycheck, struggling just to get by and don't even have a buffer to think about," Gabbard said.  "We need to put the well-being of the American people first right now and invest in them."

Fox News' Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.