Almost a week after Democratic congressional leaders climbed down from their demand for a multi-trillion dollar stimulus package, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) continued to tout his own plan, endangering prospects for a compromise, Bloomberg News reported. McConnell’s top priority — federal limits on COVID-19 related lawsuits against businesses — has emerged as the key potential deal-breaker. Republicans have balked at the six-month moratorium proposed in a bipartisan stimulus package, saying it’s too limited, and talks have stalled. McConnell’s continued use of rhetoric that pre-dates the shift by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on the overall dollar amount of aid underscored the risk of no further COVID-19 help by year-end. Senators from both sides of the aisle concluded that the prospects for a $908 billion compromise that Republican and Democratic negotiators are hashing out will come down to McConnell’s decision. Several GOP members have endorsed or been open to the plan, and top White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said President Donald Trump would likely sign it. The Republican and Democratic negotiators continued to butt heads over aid for states and localities as well as the coronavirus liability protection for businesses. “Those are coupled together,” said GOP Senator John Cornyn of Texas, who couldn’t predict whether the relief package will be enacted. “There’s either going to be none for both of those, or both of those that are going to be provided for. My hope is we’ll do both.” Republicans have blasted state assistance as a bailout for mainly Democratic areas, while Democrats have refused to give employers a shield from lawsuits over poor protection against the spread of COVID-19. Time is running ever shorter on getting a deal, which Senator John Thune, the No. 2 Republican in that chamber, said yesterday would be attached to either a stopgap federal spending bill or omnibus appropriations legislation that funds the government into 2021. Read more.
In related news, Congress will vote this week on a one-week stopgap funding bill to provide time for lawmakers to reach a deal in talks aimed at delivering COVID-19 relief and an overarching spending bill to avoid a government shutdown, Reuters reported. Lawmakers in the Republican-led Senate and Democratic-run House of Representatives need to enact a funding measure by Friday, when current funding for federal agencies is set to expire. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell hope to attach long-awaited COVID-19 relief to a broad $1.4 trillion spending bill. But with those negotiations yet to produce agreement, McConnell and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said separately yesterday that both chambers would vote this week on a measure to allow an additional week of talks. “I am disappointed that we have not yet reached agreement on government funding. The House will vote on Wednesday on a one-week CR to keep government open while negotiations continue,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, the chamber’s No. 2 Democrat, said in a tweet. McConnell did not specify when the Senate would take up the measure. Read more.
