The likelihood that Republicans will keep control of the Senate has diminished the odds for a robust pandemic relief bill.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested Wednesday that his intention is to advance a $500 billion coronavirus relief bill rather than compromise with Democrats on a bigger bill.
“Hopefully, the partisan passions that prevented us from doing another rescue package will subside with the election,” he told reporters Wednesday, adding that a relief plan should be passed before the end of the year.
A Democratic Senate would have allowed for a larger bill.
Five Senate seats remain open from Tuesday’s election, according to the New York Times, with Republicans holding an edge on maintaining control of the chamber.
House Democrats are also expected to keep control of their chamber, which means, as was true before the election, a divided Congress would have to reach an agreement for another relief plan to be enacted.
Based upon the political setup, the most likely path to getting something done is an agreement on a narrow package of relief, said Alex Brill, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank.
“I think it will be smaller. I think McConnell has less incentive to try and strike a deal now,” he told the Washington Examiner.
Noah Weinrich, the Heritage Action press secretary, said a narrower bill would exclude additional funding to state and local governments, which is prized by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat who supports the passage of a $3.4 trillion relief plan.
“We expect the Senate to advance legislation on measures that work for all Americans while keeping out wasteful state and local bailouts and runaway spending,” he said.
The parties have been deadlocked on providing liability protections for business against coronavirus-related lawsuits, which Senate Republicans support. House Democrats oppose the measure.
A narrow relief bill will likely include provisions that both parties support, such as another round of stimulus checks, expanded unemployment insurance, added funding for hospitals and schools, and a renewal of the Paycheck Protection Program that allowed small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll.
