Senate Republicans are quietly starting to write pieces of their next coronavirus relief package.
Republicans are not expected to formally negotiate the fifth bill, or even make an official decision on whether they need another aid package, until they return from a two-week break on July 20.
But Republican senators said Tuesday they are starting to brainstorm and, in some cases, create pieces of what will eventually be included in their initial offer, and Republicans are expected to reach an agreement between themselves before negotiating. with the Democrats.
Republicans crafted a similar process in March when the House of Representatives and Senate finally passed the $ 2.2 trillion relief bill. The House, where Democrats have the majority, has already passed a new $ 3 billion relief bill.
“I have already asked my appropriation subcommittee that deals with health and education and work appropriation to start putting together a package that ensures that we have more evidence, that we continue to work in therapeutics and that we have the money we need to continue go ahead with the vaccine, “said the senator. Roy Blunt
Roy Dean Blunt Grridlock Has Better Chances of Reaching Police Reform Famous Black Women and Mothers of Victims Push Senate to Pass Mail-Voting Legislation Police Reform in Limbo After Senate Setback MORE (R-Mo.)
Congress included $ 25 billion for testing in an “interim” relief bill passed in late April, but senators want to increase the number of tests per day and expand the test pool, as the country expands. It heads into the fall, and schools are still debating whether or not to reconvene classes in person.
In addition to the evidence component, Republicans are again convening a task force on helping small businesses.
The federal government will stop accepting new applications for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which provides loans to companies with fewer than 500 employees, at the end of Tuesday, raising questions for lawmakers on what to do with the approximately Remaining $ 130 billion in the program.
Democrats will try to pass legislation Tuesday night that would extend the application window until early August, but Republicans are expected to block that law.
Senator Marco Rubio
Marco Antonio Rubio Senators will have access to intelligence on Russian rewards in US troops Defense overnight: lawmakers demand answers on Russian rewards for deaths of US troops in Afghanistan | Amendments to the defense bill point to the withdrawal from Germany, the Pentagon program hands over weapons to the police. (R-Fla.), Who helped spearhead the creation of the PPP, said he wants to use the surplus money to help structure a second round of aid for small businesses.
“I prefer that we keep the $ 130 billion …[and], using that to finance a second round of assistance to small businesses. Obviously we will have to be more focused on truly small businesses, “Rubio told reporters Tuesday.
“In addition to that, I am also developing a program to provide financing for companies in communities or opportunity zones that do not receive services and other zip codes that would fall into that category,” Rubio added.
Senator Rob Portman
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“No decisions have been made, I can tell you that. … We are still meeting and talking. We have a discussion by the Finance Committee, I think it’s tomorrow, about ideas, “said Portman.
Prospects for another coronavirus package have been in limbo for weeks after Republicans “paused”, saying they wanted to assess how the nearly $ 3 trillion already allocated by Congress was being spent and weigh possible changes.
The House approved a nearly $ 3 trillion package in mid-May, but that bill has been declared “dead on arrival” in the Republican-controlled Senate.
Instead, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellOn The Money: Governors reconsider opening bars and restaurants amid rising COVID-19 cases | Key cases threaten fragile economic recovery | Supreme Court rules that director of consumer office can be fired at will Night Health Care: Supreme Court nullifies Louisiana abortion law | Governors rethink the opening of bars and restaurants in the middle of the COVID-19 peak | WHO Director Warns Pandemic ‘Accelerates’ NIGHT ENERGY: White House Threatens Veto on 5 Billion Democrats Infrastructure Plan | Supreme Court Won’t Hear Border Wall Challenge | Witnesses describe “excessive force” used by police in Lafayette Square MORE (R-Ky.) He has pinpointed the work period after the July 4 recess as when the camera would potentially act on the next bill. The Senate will return to Washington, DC on July 20 and will leave before August 7, a time McConnell said Tuesday that he does not anticipate changes.
“So I think the time to focus on this, as I said three months ago and as others have said today, is that period in July, which I also think fits in very well with the perfect time to do an assessment of the economy and progress what we are doing on the health front, “McConnell told reporters.
McConnell added that he anticipates that Republicans will focus on three areas, primarily on the upcoming bill, which the Republican leader has predicted will be more limited than legislation passed by the House of Representatives.
“What I can tell you, without fear of contradiction, is that they will focus on children, work, and health care. What I can tell you, without fear of contradiction, is that any bill that is passed in the Senate will have liability protections. ” he said.
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