Yet rather than simply a clash between the two chambers, the next novel coronavirus-related fight is likely to be a more traditional partisan one. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer appears on board with Pelosi’s timeline, emphasizing on MSNBC on Wednesday the need for a fourth coronavirus package and saying, “The end of April is about the right time.”
Privately, some Democrats are still fuming that McConnell’s GOP majority took the lead on the largest emergency rescue bill in history. And they see a major opportunity for the Democratic-led House to take charge of the next chapter in Congress’ epic task of responding to the pandemic.
On a conference call with reporters Wednesday, Pelosi and several committee leaders pitched a robust, climate-heavy infrastructure plan with a price tag close to $800 billion over five years. That package — which looks much like one rolled out by House Democrats in January — includes massive investments in rail and transit, as well as electric vehicle chargers. Democrats say it would amount to a massive jobs program at a time of record unemployment.
The House and Senate are scheduled to return on April 20, although members of both parties have said in recent days that that return date might be ambitious.
“I think we come back April 20, God willing and coronavirus willing,” Pelosi said. “But shortly thereafter, we should be able to move forward.”
When asked about Republican leaders’ wait-and-see approach on Phase Four, Pelosi pointed out that Republicans didn’t mind passing three bills in a single month in the early weeks of the crisis — and that the damage to the economy is likely to be severe even with the $2 trillion rescue measure.
“Nobody was waiting around to see what more needed to be done. We just wanted to stipulate what was needed. Well, now, we know what is needed,” Pelosi said, adding that the next package would “take a few weeks anyways” because Congress is out of session.
Pelosi and Trump also appear to be on the same page when it comes to infrastructure spending, which could undercut Republican reluctance to pursue new stimulus spending now. Yet if past is prologue, a deal could be extraordinarily difficult to achieve: Trump famously walked out of the most recent serious infrastructure meeting with Democrats last spring, fuming over congressional investigations.
And Trump’s administration, for now, is focused far more intensely on implementing the last bill than crafting a new one.
“Given the very urgent needs Americans have for relief and assistance in Phase Three, the administration is focusing on the now things now before dealing with the next things next,” said Eric Ueland, White House legislative affairs director.
Source: politico.com
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