Few signs of progress toward a coronavirus relief deal emerged Thursday as Congress inches closer to letting millions of Americans fall deeper into financial peril.
They will have to wait longer for Washington to figure out how to help them. After votes Thursday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told representatives the chamber would adjourn until at least Tuesday pending an agreement on pandemic aid and full-year government funding.
The House’s move to end work for the week came as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s staff informed congressional leadership offices that Senate Republicans likely would not support a $908 billion bipartisan proposal, according to NBC News. Politico first reported the Kentucky Republican’s plan to brush aside the plan, which members of his caucus have helped to craft.
Congressional leaders continue to stress the importance of approving a rescue package in the coming days to prevent about 12 million Americans from losing unemployment benefits and stop families across the country from getting tossed out of their homes.
Despite a flurry of activity to try to reach a deal, lawmakers still have not resolved disputes that have driven months of failure to respond to a once-in-a-century health and economic crisis. It remains unclear what kind of package could garner the support of both the GOP-controlled Senate and Democratic-held House.
On Thursday, Democrats again endorsed the bipartisan talks. Those discussions, however, still have not yielded legislation as lawmakers finalize provisions related to state and local government relief and GOP-backed legal immunity for businesses. NBC News reported that the group agreed Thursday afternoon on how to distribute $160 billion in state and local funds, but has not resolved questions about legal immunity.
Speaking on the Senate floor Thursday, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., described the bipartisan negotiations as “the only real game in town” to craft a bill that could get through a divided Congress. He contended McConnell has tried to trip up those talks in favor of a plan that includes only policies Republicans support.
McConnell targeted Democrats on Thursday for what he called efforts to delay new relief. He has backed more narrow legislation of about $500 billion, which would be based around Paycheck Protection Program small business loans. It would not include additional federal unemployment benefits or direct payments.
McConnell offered this week to drop liability protections and state and local aid from talks. Democrats rejected the trade-off due to worries that states or cities will have to lay off first responders and teachers without more federal help. Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., also shot down a $916 billion offer from the Trump administration because it did not include a federal jobless benefit supplement.
McConnell on Thursday said he hopes “our colleagues let Congress deliver more help soon.”
“A lot of Americans simply can’t afford to wait,” he said.
