2 virus-relief measures pitched

Senate chief upbeat on prospects of pre-Christmas deal

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of lawmakers Monday released two bills that it said would provide the nation with emergency economic relief as senior congressional officials sounded more hopeful about the odds of approving new relief than they have in weeks.

The group unveiled one $748 billion package that includes new unemployment benefits, small-business aid and other programs that received broad bipartisan support.

The second bill includes the two provisions most divisive among lawmakers — liability protections for businesses, and about $160 billion in aid for state and local governments — with the expectation that both could be excluded from a final deal to secure passage of the most popular provisions. This second bill could end up falling out of the final deal if lawmakers do not rally around it.

Still, the progress in the bipartisan group’s work comes as congressional leaders indicate momentum for quickly approving some sort of economic relief package before lawmakers leave for Christmas recess. One senior House Democrat on Sunday appeared open to advancing legislation that lacked state and local funding, a possible concession that could pave the way for an agreement. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R- Ky., sounded hopeful and emphasized potential cooperation in a speech on the Senate floor.

The effort to break the months-long legislative logjam over economic aid has been spearheaded by Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Mark Warner, D-Va., Mitt Romney, R-Utah, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, among other centrist lawmakers who appeared together at a news conference Monday. And it reflects a shift in strategy, as rank-and-file members are trying to spearhead the initiative instead of deferring to congressional leaders.

The legislation includes 16 weeks of unemployment benefits at $300 per week for jobless Americans and $300 billion in small-business relief, including a second round of Paycheck Protection Program funding, according to a summary of the document provided by a congressional aide.

It also includes $ 82 billion for schools; $13 billion in emergency food assistance; $25 billion in rental assistance; $35 billion for health care providers; and $13 billion for farmers, ranchers, growers and fisheries.

The bill will also have an extension of the eviction moratorium until Jan. 31, at which point lawmakers hope the $25 billion in rental assistance would alleviate that pressure. Republicans resisted a longer extension of the moratorium, people familiar with the talks said. A one-month extension would ensure that it covers renters until after President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.

“Bipartisanship and compromise is alive and well in Washington,” Manchin said. “We’ve proven that.”

“My hope is that our hard work will spur our leadership on both sides of the aisle, in the Senate, in the House and in the administration, to take our products and use them as the basis for a covid-relief package that is urgently needed,” Collins said.

She called the group’s legislation a “Christmas miracle” after months of partisan gridlock.

The two bills show how far the bipartisan group of negotiators took the process but also the limits of their effort — they were not able to completely solve some of the most complex problems. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., touted the need for state and local aid to make its way into a final package, but it’s unclear whether that element will survive the final stages of negotiations.

Negotiators hope that by advancing both of these measures they will draw Democratic and Republican leaders into the negotiations to speed the process along and lead to a final package. Bringing their bills to congressional leaders could kick off a new round of higher-stakes negotiating.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D- Calif., has been discussing a relief bill with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

McConnell also sounded upbeat rather than narrowly denouncing his opponents, saying on the Senate floor: “The Republican side wants to make law, to agree where we can and help people who need it. I hope and believe that my Democratic colleagues feel the same way.”

Lawmakers also made progress over the weekend on the government funding bills. Senior congressional leadership has aimed to include the stimulus legislation with the legislation to fund the government, but that effort has also not been finalized.

Congress has until Friday to pass spending legislation to avert a government shutdown that would begin Saturday.