Senate fails to garner votes for virus relief bill
WASHINGTON — The U. S. Senate failed on Thursday to garner the votes necessary to approve a slimmed- down COVID19 relief package, dimming the prospects that Congress will reach any deal to provide aid to Americans in the middle of a global pandemic before Capitol Hill clears out ahead of the 2020 elections.
The Senate’s Republican majority put the $ 500 billion measure up for a vote after some eight weeks of negotiations with Democrats and the White House fell short of a comprehensive deal. The bill was approved by a 52- 47 vote but fell short of the 60 votes necessary to overcome a filibuster. Sen. Rand Paul, R- Ky., joined every Democratic senator in opposition.
The lack of progress left lawmakers and the White House with little momentum just a few weeks before Congress adjourns in October for the election. The parties remain roughly $ 1 trillion apart on the top- level spending figure: Democrats have called for nothing less than $ 2.2 trillion, while the White House won’t budge above a $ 1.3 trillion package.
The Senate bill represented a dramatic cut from those efforts. The proposal included federal aid for small businesses, an extension of supplemental unemployment benefits and vaccine development. It also provided a temporary liability shield for businesses facing pandemic- related lawsuits.
But Democrats criticized the scaled- back bill as inadequate. It did not include another round of direct cash payments to Americans, no additional aid to state and local governments, and no new money for nursing homes or long- term care facilities. ( Democrats have called for roughly $ 1 trillion alone for state
and local governments.)
Sen. Pat Toomey, R- Pa., said the bill on Thursday contained many provisions Democrats claimed to support.
“They unanimously voted against this measure because it does not spend enough borrowed money on unrelated projects from the left- wing wish list,” Mr. Toomey said. “For the good of the country, it’s time for Senate Democrats to stop filibustering and start legislating.”
Sen. Bob Casey, D- Pa., released a statement that called the bill “another bad- faith effort by Republicans, who refused to engage in meaningful and bipartisan negotiations all summer.”
“This proposal fails to meet the needs of workers and families who have been struggling for months,” Mr. Casey said.
Mr. Casey told reporters in the U. S. Capitol on Wednesday he planned to oppose the bill because “it leaves working families, it leaves children and it leaves front- line workers behind.” In addition to other Democratic priorities, Mr. Casey demanded more federal aid for state Medicaid programs, assistance for seniors and people with disabilities, and relief for renters facing eviction.
The debate over how much additional money to spend has played out in Washington ever since the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, was signed into law March 27.
Republicans, including Mr. Toomey, were leading the charge to reopen businesses in May in the hope that the economic recovery would replace the need for more government spending. That month, the House passed the HEROES Act, a second relief package that totaled $ 3.3 trillion and served as a starting point in negotiations between the two chambers.
But talks did not begin in earnest until the last half of July, as the virus continued to surge in places like Texas, Florida, Georgia and Arizona. Businesses have remained closed and schools are going online.
Both sides had moved slowly in a positive direction in recent days. Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D- Calif., offered the $ 2.2 trillion package as a concession from the $ 3.3 trillion bill the House approved in May. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has moved slightly up from $ 1 trillion to $ 1.3 trillion.
Republicans, including Mr. Toomey, have opposed more money for state and local governments by pointing out a large portion of the money approved by Congress in March has yet to be spent.
Last month, Allegheny County released the first detailed plans on how it will spend $ 212 million in federal money. The online portal, last updated Wednesday, showed more than $ 65 million — nearly a third of the funding — had been spent.
Democrats have insisted the funds are needed. Local governments have argued the length of the pandemic will continue to wreak havoc on their budgets and have lobbied Congress to approve additional spending.
State and local government funding has garnered a “broad bipartisan consensus outside of the U. S. Senate,” Mr. Casey said Wednesday. “We know what will happen — as sure as night follows day — if you don’t help state governments, education cuts will continue and public safety will be cut at the local level.”