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WASHINGTON: As the coronavirus pandemic reached new record highs in the United States, it ignited a fire in the United States Congress, where Republicans and Democrats battled to pass a new round of aid after months of partisan indictments and inaction.
Even as they contemplated passing a third interim measure to give them a few more days to agree on final amounts, lawmakers on both sides said the worsening number of COVID-19 victims meant that failing to reach an agreement was no longer an option.
Several lawmakers raised the possibility of the federal government running out of money early Saturday as COVID-19 relief negotiations continue, if Congress is unable to pass a temporary government funding bill by midnight Friday. .
Senate No. 2 Republican John Thune said there could be an objection to the passage of such an interim measure by those who want to keep up the pressure for a deal on COVID-19 relief.
“Government shutdowns are never good. If it’s for a very short period of time on a weekend, hopefully it won’t be something that is that damaging, but with that said, the preferable route is to keep government open and get this done and do it quickly, “Thune said.
But a Democratic aide to the House of Representatives familiar with the negotiations said there was confidence that the Democrat-led House could meet the Friday midnight deadline to pass aid measures for spending and coronavirus.
Lawmakers said hospitalizations and deaths were prompting them to act as the pandemic escalated at an alarming rate. The United States has recorded more than 17 million COVID-19 cases and nearly 309,000 deaths, by far the highest number in the world.
“Today, this week, we are seeing more COVID deaths than ever, the fact that even with a vaccine in my state we are at our highest rate of virus transmission, hospitalizations,” said Republican Senator Lisa. Murkowski of Alaska.
“That’s the difference … the timing, the passage of time, and the passage of lives,” Murkowski said when asked by reporters why a coronavirus relief bill was gaining momentum among Senate Republicans.
Republican Sen. Rob Portman pointed to the growing ranks of unemployed Americans at food banks. “Something is happening here people … people waiting five, six hours for a box of food.”
Republicans also have a cautious eye on the impact inaction could have on a pair of Jan.5 US Senate elections in Georgia, which will decide whether their party retains control of the Senate for the next two years or se hands it over to the Democrats.
For months, the Republican-led Senate refused to accept a $ 3 trillion bill that the Democrat-led House passed in May, noting that Congress had previously approved $ 3 trillion in aid in March and April. . For a long time, leading Republicans advocated for something closer to $ 500 billion more.
Now, House and Senate leaders are negotiating a bill worth roughly $ 900 billion that will be attached to a $ 1.4 trillion bill to fund federal programs through next September. The plan is to attach the bill to a massive government bill and pass both by midnight Friday to avoid shutting down much of the federal government.
Lawmakers from both parties said they wanted to avoid a shutdown.
Legislation on the coronavirus is expected to include stimulus controls of around $ 600, extended unemployment benefits, aid for states distributing the vaccine, and assistance for small businesses battling the pandemic as millions have stayed. jobless.
EDF LOANS – AND OTHER ADHESIVE POINTS
While congressional leaders reported progress in the negotiations, there were still thorny issues to resolve.
Republicans were trying to ensure that the Federal Reserve’s emergency loan program that was enacted earlier this year would end this month, a move that Democrats oppose.
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, a Republican, told reporters that he was negotiating a rental assistance program that “would avoid the need for an eviction moratorium.”
Negotiators were in various stages of discussions about increasing food aid for the poor and reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to local governments for expenses related to COVID-19, such as personal protective equipment for women. schools.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that if an agreement is not reached by midnight Friday, he will insist that lawmakers postpone the Christmas break until one is reached. That would require, he said, the passage of a “very, very” short interim measure to keep the government going.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has spoken about a temporary bill that is likely to pass next Tuesday.
Two controversial issues seem to have fallen by the wayside. The measure was not expected to include a dedicated flow of funds to state and local governments, a Democratic priority, or new protections for companies from pandemic-related lawsuits, high on the Republican agenda.
Lawmakers were discussing $ 300 a week in federal unemployment benefits, which would also be half the amount approved last spring, which expired in the summer, and about $ 330 billion to help small businesses, the officials said. legislators.
