Stimulus
When the Senate returns next week, the first order of business will be a stimulus package. In all the turbulence surrounding the election, this statement by Senate Leader Mitch McConnell was lost. A few weeks earlier he said stimulus would have to wait until next year, so this is a positive development.
McConnell, the ultimate dealmaker, has not been at the table as the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin talked. And having him at the table would go far in bringing a deal up for a vote. Needless to say, the Speaker needs to agree to the deal, and the President will need to be engaged to sign the bill.
McConnell has supported enhanced unemployment insurance, individual stimulus checks, renewal and replenishment of the small business PPP program, and this week indicated that he would consider some money for state and local governments. As long as Speaker Pelosi doesn’t insist on $2T, a deal in the next few weeks is possible.
Election, Election, Election
President
While former Vice President Joe Biden appears to be close to reaching the magic number of 270 Electoral Votes, there is clearly going to be weeks of litigation by Team Trump. The President has been clear of his viewpoint that the election was riddled with fraud; but now the burden will fall on his legal team to bring evidence of the illegal actions to the courts. As one commentator opined: it’s hard to go to court without a crime.
The President appears confident the Supreme Court, that he has worked to remake, will hand down a decision favorable to him. Comparing 2020 to 2000 it is important to remember that in 2000 the Court intervened in a recount, and George W. Bush was always in the lead.
Senate
After all the races are decided, it appears that Republicans will have 50 seats, Democrats 48 seats, and the two Georgia seats to be decided in a January 5 runoff election.
Democrats would have to win both seats to get to a 50/50 tie; but under any scenario the Senate will be closely divided. Democrats will have Senators from more moderate states such as AZ, CO, MT and WV, making consensus difficult. Putting together winning margins in such a closely divided Senate will be a challenge for either McConnell or Schumer.
