House OKs new aid bill
Some in party join GOP in opposing measure
Democrats on Friday narrowly passed through the House, 208 to 199, a $3 trillion coronavirus pandemic relief package that exposed some division within their ranks even as Republicans overwhelmingly voted against it amid a veto threat from the White House.
Fourteen House Democrats opposed the bill, which would steer billions to financially strapped states and local governments and provide a second round of direct payments to millions of Americans.
WASHINGTON – Democrats narrowly passed through the House Friday a $3 trillion coronavirus relief package that exposed some division within their ranks even as Republicans overwhelmingly voted against it amid a veto threat from the White House.
Fourteen House Democrats opposed the bill, including some facing tough races in November, and progressive members who wanted it to go further. It passed 208 to 199.
The bill, which would steer billions to financially socked states and local governments and provide a second round of direct payments to millions of Americans, was panned by Senate Republicans and declared “dead on arrival” by President Donald Trump.
More help will eventually come, Trump said Friday, but “it’s going to happen in a much better way.”
In addition to attacking the bill as a “liberal wish list,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and other Republicans say they want to see the results of the trillions of stimulus dollars already approved before they take up another package.
“There are elements in it, working with Republicans, that could pass,” said Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole, a Republican on the House spending committee. “There’s lots of other things in here that aren’t gonna.”
But Democrats hope pressure to act will continue to build as states face massive budget holes and millions more Americans continue to file for unemployment benefits.
“It’s always interesting to me to see how much patience some people have with the pain and suffering of other people,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “Let’s take a pause? Do you think this virus is taking a pause? Do you think that the rent takes a pause?”
That argument was not persuasive for some Democrats facing difficult reelections in districts Trump easily won.
“This bill strays far beyond delivering relief or responding to an urgent crisis, & it has no chance at becoming law,” tweeted Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va.
Meanwhile, some progressives were unhappy that provisions they pushed for – such as covering three months of payroll costs for businesses – were not included.
“We’re going to see mass unemployment numbers continue to rise,” said Washington state Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat.
McConnell said Thursday another bill “probably is going to be necessary.” But he declined “to put a precise date on when that will be.”
“Forget about this $3 trillion leftwing wish list that even House Democrats are criticizing,” McConnell tweeted Friday.
In a veto threat, the White House said the bill is “more concerned with delivering on longstanding partisan and ideological wish lists than with enhancing the ability of our Nation to deal with the public health and economic challenges we face.”