White House pushes to eliminate virus testing funding from relief bill proposal

The Trump administration has objected to the inclusion of billions of dollars for coronavirus testing and tracing across the country in an opening draft proposal from Senate Republicans for the next coronavirus relief package, further complicating efforts to reach an agreement on the legislation.

The draft suggested allocating $25 billion to states for testing and contact tracing, as well as almost $10 billion to shore up the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and $15 billion to bolster the National Institutes of Health, according to a person familiar with the tentative plans, who cautioned that the final dollar figures remained in flux.

The administration has instead pushed to eliminate all of those funds and has also called for cutting billions of dollars set aside for the Pentagon and the State Department to help counter the outbreak and potentially distribute a vaccine at home and abroad.

The suggestions from the administration, according to two people familiar with the proposals, included funding priorities unrelated to the spread of the coronavirus, including the contentious effort to construct a new building for the F.B.I. The people asked for anonymity to disclose private details of the talks, which were first reported by The Washington Post.

Spokespeople for the White House and the Treasury Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A senior administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said on Saturday that discussions were just beginning and that the White House team remained committed to ensuring “appropriate levels across all agencies to address this crisis.”

Lawmakers are expected to start an intense round of negotiations before the end of the month, as a number of provisions approved in the existing $2.2 trillion stimulus package are set to expire and as coronavirus cases are skyrocketing across the country.

Even though Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, is moving to introduce his own measure, some Republicans remain skeptical that another coronavirus package is needed.

Democrats have approved a $3 trillion measure that amounts to their opening offer.