House, Senate Stalemate over Next Round of Coronavirus Relief
With Congress leaving town for Memorial Day, the House or Representatives and the Senate remain at loggerheads over if, when and how to proceed with the next round of coronavirus relief. Last week the Democratic-controlled House passed a $3 trillion package but it arrived at the Senate with a thud as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the President showed no interest in proceeding with the House bill. McConnell said further legislative action was on hold and that the House bill was dead on arrival. President Trump declared he’d veto the bill.
As the Senators left town last week, policy disagreements were brewing within the Republican conference as the unemployment numbers leveled out at over 2 million new claims a week. Of the 35 Senate seats being contested this year, 23 are currently held by Republicans.
Susan Collins of Maine and Cory Gardner of Colorado always knew they would have tight races as they are the only two of the 23 Republicans from states that Hilary Clinton carried in the previous election. Recent polling is showing close races for Republicans in Arizona, Montana, North Carolina and Iowa. Republican incumbents in these states are reportedly putting pressure on leadership to start work on virus relief legislation in June.
My view is that some relief bill will pass before the July 4 break. While structuring aid to state and local government will need to be carefully crafted, and assistance to the U.S. Post Office could be contentious with the battle over mail-in ballots; the Senate is near a compromise to give more time for small business to spend their Paycheck Protection Program money. There is also support in the Senate to look at another round of individual stimulus check.
A major issue of contention is over the extension of the $600 a week unemployment supplement that expires at the end of July. Critics of the unemployment benefit point out that in some cases it pays more than some service jobs and could delay opening the economy. Much will depend on what the Senators hear back in their home states over the Memorial holiday break.
Figure: Top Trump Tweets
Another $298M heading to @MTA, adding up to over $2B in federal funding from @USDOT so far, part of the $3.9B total from the CARES Act. This is critical to keeping essential personnel moving and aiding metro NYC in recovery. We are here for the people of New York!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 21, 2020
Great call with thousands of our Hispanic community, business, and faith leaders today. During this national trial, we have been uplifted by the grit, determination, prayers, and patriotism of Hispanic Americans….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 21, 2020
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