Democrats crafting new COVID-19 relief bill U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-5
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-5, has been suffering fatigue and shortness of breath as she battles the coronavirus nearly a week after her diagnosis.
“I have received an overwhelming outpouring of support from colleagues and constituents,” Hayes said Friday. “Calls, texts, cards and well wishes.”
Hayes had one day of fever and some nausea, but her primary symptoms have been respiratory.
From quarantine, she worked remotely throughout the week casting her votes in the U.S. House of Representatives by proxy through Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2. She also participated in hearings, briefings and bill mark-ups virtually.
Hayes cannot be on the campaign trail, but her reelection effort is not slowing down, she said. Former federal prosecutor and Republican David Sullivan is challenging her for the 5th District seat.
“Campaigning is not on pause,” Hayes said. “I personally have not done any events but the number of volunteers, small dollar donations and organizing has increased significantly over the last week and they have all been working on my behalf.”
Hayes and one of her staffers were diagnosed with the virus last weekend. For Hayes, the diagnosis came at the end of a week of inperson work at the U.S. Capitol, including many votes on the House floor.
Since her diagnosis, she’s been vocal about calling for regular testing of members of Congress at the U.S. Capitol.
“I just think it’s irresponsible for us not to get regularly tested or have our temperatures taken,” she said.
She sent a letter to House leadership about this issue but did not hear back, she said. The issue also came up on a House Democrats caucus call earlier this week.
“Leaders that I spoke to on the phone were very receptive to my concerns,” Hayes said.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said Friday, “As our nation continues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, and with members traveling back and forth to DC from across the country, I believe that we need to seriously consider providing testing for members and all employees who work in the Capitol complex, many of whom are my constituents. I will continue to discuss this with my colleagues.”
A senior Democratic aide claimed House leaders were avoiding testing because Democrats had concerns about Republicans using testing as a rationale to bring all of their staff back into the office prematurely, to refuse to wear masks in the Capitol complex, and to shame employees who wear masks and follow precautions. Republicans did resist mask wearing earlier on in the pandemic, but now more than six months in, many GOP lawmakers have changed their tune and regularly wear masks.
The outbreak in Hayes’s office was limited to her and one other staffer with whom she had close contact, testing has revealed, according to Hayes. Hayes’s husband had a asymptomatic case of the virus in April. Both he and her son have tested negative this week.
Connecticut has had over 56,000 coronavirus cases to date, state data shows, including more than 4,500 deaths.
Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, joined other Democrats Thursday in calling for action on relief after the U.S. passed the milestone of 200,000 Americans dead from coronavirus.
“The United States is 5 percent of the world’s population but we have suffered 20 percent of the fatalities,” he said. “In this case, our record is appalling.”
House Democrats are crafting a new roughly $2.4 trillion covid-19 relief bill, another stab at compromise amid stalled negotiations before a rapidly approaching election. Negotiations with the White House gone nowhere since August. Democrats want Republicans to be willing to spend more, Republican want Democrat to come down. Senate Republicans moved farther away from Democrats in September by proposing a smaller bill than their original offer.
The new Democratic bill is a move to reinvigorate the negotiations with the White House, Hoyer said.
“We want a bill passed and signed so that’s what our focus is, trying to get an agreement before we go home,” Hoyer said. “And going home is problematic depending upon where negotiations are and where we are and what the Senate’s doing.”
Some Senate Republicans have little hope the new effort will result in a deal. The Senate’s chief appropriator, Richard Shelby, R-Ala., held his thumb and first finger an inch apart to show his assessment on the chances of a deal.
“It’s a lot of money either way,” Shelby said of the Democrat’s new proposal. “But there’s a lot of hurt out there right now, especially with a lot of small businesses. If we could target them, the Secretary [of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin] said today, we ought to get together and do it. Next week will be a pivotal time.”
Hayes, like most Democrats, pinned the blame on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
“I know the lengths we have gone to, to bring relief to the American people,” she said. “I do believe Democrats have tried to compromise, however, we will not accept a package that leaves Americans behind.”
Republicans claim Democrats are unwilling to accept what they can get and are not interestered in a real deal.