PELOSI PUSHES NEW VIRUS PACKAGE
Mcconnell says it’s time to push ‘pause’ on additional aid
WASHINGTON
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pressed ahead Tuesday seeking additional coronavirus aid, a sweeping package that is expected to be unveiled soon even as the House stays closed while the Senate reopens in the pandemic.
Key to any plan to reopen the economy, Democrats say, is robust testing. They are also expected to propose another round of direct cash aid for anxious Americans, funds for states to prevent layoffs and more money to shore up businesses in the stay-home economy. The amount of funding has yet to be determined.
“We still don’t have a national testing strategy that is adequate,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said. “It’s life and death.”
The contours of the next package are taking shape despite Republican resistance to more spending and a deepening debate over how best to confront the deadly pandemic and its economic devastation.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mcconnell said Tuesday it’s time to push “pause” on more aid.
President Donald Trump is encouraging states to reopen and Republicans hope the gradual comeback will kick-start the economy, reducing the pressure for more pricey aid.
“Now it’s time to go back to work,” Trump said at the White House.
Under strict social-distancing guidelines, the Senate reconvened Monday for the first time since March, while the House is staying away due to the health risks. The Washington area remains a virus hot spot under stay-home rules.
Mcconnell has focused the chamber’s workload on confirming Trump’s nominees, with several committees meeting remotely this week.
The GOP leader insists that any new aid package must include liability protections for the hospitals, health care providers and businesses that are operating and reopening in the pandemic. He said Tuesday he wants to prevent “an epidemic of lawsuits.”
But Mcconnell also signaled an interest in beefedup virus testing strategies as central to the nation’s ability to take steps “back toward normalcy.”