House OKs $3 trillion aid measure
Democrats pushed the bill through despite heavy GOP opposition. It stands no chance of becoming law in its current form.
WASHINGTON — Democrats powered a massive $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill through the House on Friday, an electionyear measure designed to brace a U.S. economy in free fall and a health care system struggling to contain a pandemic still pummeling the country.
The 208199 vote, over strong Republican opposition, advances what boils down to a campaignseason display of Democratic economic and healthcare priorities. It has no chance of becoming law as written, but will bring difficult negotiations with the White House and Senate Republicans. Any product would probably be the last major COVID19 response bill before November’s presidential and congressional elections.
The enormous Democratic measure would cost more than the prior four coronavirus bills combined. It would deliver almost $1 trillion for state and local governments, another round of $1,200 direct payments to individuals and help for the unemployed, renters and homeowners, college debt holders and the struggling Postal Service.
“Not to act now is not only irresponsible in a humanitarian way, it is irresponsible because it’s only going to cost more,” warned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, DSan Francisco. “More in terms of lives, livelihood, cost to the budget, cost to our democracy.”
Republicans mocked the bill as a bloated Democratic wishlist that was dead on arrival in the GOPled Senate and, for good measure, faced a White House veto threat. Party leaders say they want to assess how $3 trillion approved earlier is working and see if some states’ partial business reopenings would spark an economic revival that would ease the need for more safety net programs.
Republicans are also sorting through internal divisions and awaiting stronger signals from President Trump about what he will support.
“Phase Four is going to happen,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, using Washington insiderspeak for the measure. “But it’s going to happen in a much better way for the American people.”
Trump and top Republicans like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, RKy., are insisting the next measure should protect reopening businesses from liability lawsuits. The president is also demanding a cut to payroll taxes, but GOP leaders are not yet onboard.
To enhance the bill’s political impact, Democrats named their measure “The Heroes Act” for the payments it would provide frontline emergency workers. With more than 86,000 Americans dead, 1.4 million confirmed infections and 36 million filing unemployment claims in a frozen economy, Democrats saw GOP opposition as an easy campaignseason target.
Republicans saw the bill as a Democratic political blunder. They said overly generous unemployment benefits discouraged people from returning to work, and attacked language helping immigrants in the U.S. illegally obtain federal benefits. They also singled out provisions helping states set up voting by mail and easing the marijuana industry’s access to banks.