Partisan divisions return to the fore as ‘freight train’ wrecks US economy
CORONAVIRUS cases are surging, the fragile economic recovery has stalled and millions of jobless Americans just lost emergency unemployment benefits. In response, Congress is doing what it does best: nothing at all.
The crisis that forced lawmakers to act with unusual speed in March and April to pump an unprecedented $3 trillion into the US economy has not abated. By some measures, after a brief levelling off in infections and some positive economic indicators, things have gotten worse.
What has faded is the sense of bipartisan urgency that existed in the spring and propelled Congress to act with near unanimity.
At that time, the new virus that was wreaking economic havoc around the nation was so alarming it seemed to startle lawmakers out of their partisan corners. But now the election is nearing, and the novel coronavirus is not so novel. The partisan divisions are back on Capitol Hill, and they appear to be as intractable as ever.
“The Republicans are pushing the American economy into a depression because they are unwilling to do what is necessary to prevent it,” said Democratic Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz.
“This is not the fault of Congress generally. This is happening to America because of the Republicans. We want to strike a compromise, but their ideology prevents them from meeting the moment.”
In turn, Republicans placed blame on Democrats for letting expanded unemployment benefits lapse on Friday, though the GOP did not release their own comprehensive proposal until earlier this week.
Meanwhile, the dwindling centre on Capitol Hill – and those facing competitive contests this fall – are urging their leaders to take swifter action.
“Congress has to rise to the crisis. It is too serious,” said Republican senator for Maine Susan Collins, one of at least a half dozen endangered GOP senators whose political fortunes are in the balance.
“If we can’t work together in a bipartisan, bicameral way in the midst of a persistent pandemic that is causing such harm to people’s health and their economic stability, then we will have failed the American people.”
Democrats and many Republicans insist it is imperative to act soon to pass another big relief bill. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the virus “a freight train that is picking up steam and picking up speed” on Friday as she called for Senate passage of the House Democrats’ $3 trillion bill.
Talks are ongoing between congressional Democrats and top Trump administration officials, and many people involved think they will manage to produce some kind of agreement in the next couple of weeks. But Republicans are divided between those like Ms Collins who support aggressive new action and a significant minority of GOP lawmakers who think Congress has done its job and should not spend any more money to pile on the deficit.
President Donald Trump’s weakening standing in the polls means there is less imperative for reluctant fiscal conservatives to rally around legislation that might help his political fortunes. The president himself has also reduced the sense of urgency by embracing unlikely hopes that the economy can heal itself by reopening, or that the virus will disappear on its own.
After three-and-a-half years of rancour under the Trump administration, there is little trust between the two parties, and no direct communication at all between Mr Trump and Ms Pelosi. The result is stasis.
“In order to cut deals and find compromise in this hyper-partisan political environment you have to have at least a small amount of trust in each other,” said Jim Manley, who was aide to former Senate Democratic leader Harry M Reid. “The problem right now is that no one trusts their colleagues on the other side of the aisle.”