Senate eyes Thursday action on billions more in funding for small businesses

But the move could meet opposition in the House, where Democratic leaders are resistant to piecemeal extensions, according to multiple sources. In addition to new small business money, Democrats could push for additional money for state and local governments and an expansion of unemployment benefits for several more months, according to those sources.

And a spokesman for Schumer said there’s been no negotiations thus far with Schumer and Small Business Committee ranking members Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.).

„Senator Schumer has not heard from Senator McConnell, and Senator Cardin has not heard from Senator Rubio,” said Justin Goodman, a spokesman for Schumer.

The divergent statements from Democratic and Republicans shows how quickly the congressional response is shifting amid the pandemic. But without quick action, Rubio warned that fear would wrack small businesses that are applying for the oversubscribed program.

“We have days, NOT weeks to address this,” Rubio (R-Fla.) said on Twitter.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said he spoke to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Tuesday and that Mnuchin will soon make a formal request to Congress.

„Following the Senate’s approval, the House should move swiftly to do the same and provide confidence to small businesses across the country that their government will be there for them,“ McCarthy said.

And the Trump administration will get to hash out the unfolding crisis and the congressional response as the week unfolds. House Democrats will receive a coronavirus briefing from Vice President Mike Pence and other top officials on Wednesday, a rare moment of bipartisanship between the House majority and an administration it is often battling.

The briefing will be conducted via conference call and will last about 45 minutes, according to an invitation obtained by POLITICO. In addition to Pence, other key officials leading the coronavirus response will join, including Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx and Rear Adm. John Polowczyk.

Pence spokeswoman Katie Miller tweeted that the vice president would also do calls with House Republicans, Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans on Thursday. Senate Republicans also spoke to Fauci and Mnuchin last week in a conference call.

A major topic of the briefing is expected to be efforts by federal officials to deliver desperately needed personal protective equipment to states whose hospitals are being crushed by an influx of coronavirus patients.

Polowczyk has been leading the effort at the federal level, coordinating a fleet of cargo planes to bring face masks, gowns, gloves and ventilators from overseas to help replenish rapidly depleting U.S. supplies. But the overall effort has been beset by bureaucratic roadblocks, miscommunication and charges of political favoritism by state leaders.

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has been hosting near-daily calls during the week in an effort to keep members informed and connected as Congress is out of session for an extended period to prevent the spread of the virus on Capitol Hill.

The calls have had a high level of participation — 99 percent of House Democrats have participated in at least one of the more than a dozen calls hosted by the caucus in the past few weeks. After the briefing from top White House officials, Democrats will hear from former Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell, according to the invitation.

Last week, the calls were mainly focused on explaining specific policies including in the massive $2 trillion relief package signed into law late last month. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats are already pushing for another massive rescue bill that would build upon the last piece of legislation and include expanded unemployment benefits, more money for state and local governments and another round of direct cash payments to most Americans.

On a caucus call Monday that featured former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, Pelosi said the next coronavirus relief bill could “easily” cost more than $1 trillion.

Pelosi wants to begin working on the new bill immediately and is still talking as if the House could come back into session later this month to vote on it, although many lawmakers are increasingly saying they think that’s untenable given the continued spread of the virus across the country.

The California Democrat has also met resistance from some top Republicans, who want to wait, as multiple federal and state agencies are already struggling to implement the policies Congress just passed.

Source: politico.com
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