President Trump on Monday endorsed the House and Senate making changes to stalled coronavirus legislation, telling reporters, “They may make it even better.”
The House is planning to make technical corrections to a measure lawmakers passed before leaving town last week. Some House and Senate Republicans object to portions of the bill and are pushing for changes in a deal that will be hammered out between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
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Trump said that’s fine with him.
“They’re working to only enhance it and make it better,” Trump said. “We may go back and forth with the House a little bit.”
Among the changes is one that would ease the impact on small businesses, which oppose the House bill’s sick leave provision.
“We’re looking at fixing that through the Senate,” Trump said.
The House is expected to pass the legislation through unanimous consent, since lawmakers are not in town. Rep. Louie Gohmert, a Texas Republican, is threatening to object, which would then require all lawmakers to return to the House for a vote.
“I will not give my consent without first reading these very serious changes,” Gohmert said.
House leaders are reviewing the changes with Gohmert to get him to back down on the threat.
Congress is planning “multiple” bills to respond to the coronavirus.
Senate Republican and Democratic leaders on Monday pledged to pass more legislation to enable a federal response to the coronavirus, which has nearly shuttered the U.S. economy and has become a massive public health threat.
Congress this week is poised to pass the second spending bill this month aimed at responding to the outbreak. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday to expect more legislation to follow.
“Senate Republicans are absolutely convinced that the House bill can only be the beginning of Congress’s efforts to secure our economy and support American families,” McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said Monday. “This is a unique challenge, a unique challenge.”
Schumer, a New York Democrat, on Monday announced a series of measures he wants included in the next round of legislation that would infuse $750 billion “to wage war” against the spread of the virus.
“There will be multiple legislative vehicles to respond to the coronavirus,” Schumer said.
