Republicans near agreement
WASHINGTON >> Conservatives are apoplectic about its $1 trillion cost. Embattled mainstream Republicans are desperate to act quickly and aggressively to show voters they are doing something about the pandemic and resulting recession. And President Donald Trump keeps insisting on proposals, like a costly payroll tax cut, that will do nothing to help tens of millions of jobless Americans and even members of his own party do not support.
The debate over the next round of coronavirus relief has exposed deep divisions among Republicans over spending and policy, leaving the fate of a huge economic rescue package in limbo as the virus surges around the country and posing an election-year dilemma for a party already facing a grim political landscape. After three marathon days of talks, Senate Republican leaders and White House officials expressed confidence on Wednesday evening that they had reached an agreement in principle on a proposal that would dole out more than $100 billion to schools, send additional checks directly to Americans and provide $16 billion for states to conduct testing and contact tracing. But some of the biggest issues, including what to do with enhanced unemployment insurance and Trump’s payroll tax cut idea, were not finalized.
In a sign of their differences, some Republican senators suggested at one point Wednesday that they might pursue a short-term extension of the enhanced unemployment benefits expiring next week to buy more time to reach a final agreement. Even that idea sparked infighting: Conservatives loathe the extra $600-per-week benefit, regarding it as a disincentive to work, and the White House chief of staff panned it.
And Republicans have not even begun to negotiate with Democrats, who are pushing for a rescue package three times as large.
“Nobody’s stabbed anybody or anything,” said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., describing the dynamic inside of his party as lawmakers bicker over the bill. But, he said, “I don’t think you can say there is a consensus.”
Democrats, who have hammered Republicans for not acting on a $3 trillion recovery measure the House passed in May, have refused to budge from their starting position until Republicans produce an opening bid.