Senate Republican leadership is workshopping ideas for new coronavirus legislation within its caucus, an acknowledgment that more will be needed to respond to the pandemic in addition to the stimulus package being considered by the House.
South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the majority whip, is asking Republican senators for their ideas. In a note to Senate GOP offices Friday, he said he was working with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell “to identify and consolidate Republican ideas for future legislation responsive to the crisis.”
“To be clear, we are not soliciting possible amendments to the bill currently before the House,” reads the note from the Senate majority whip’s office to GOP Senate offices, obtained by the Washington Examiner. “Rather, in response to expressions of interest from several of your bosses, we are seeking to collect proposals that might be considered as part of additional, future legislation.”
Thune is requesting any Republican proposals by noon on Monday, with the goal of having a “preliminary list of proposals” by early in the week, according to the note.
Thune’s office declined to comment. McConnell’s office referred the Washington Examiner to Thune’s staff.
Any Republican ideas would likely feed into a third coronavirus package. Congress has already passed an $8.3 billion emergency spending bill to deal with the spread of the virus, and the House is negotiating a deal with the White House on a stimulus package that the Senate would be expected to approve quickly.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday that the House was prepared to vote later in the day on the stimulus, which would provide free coronavirus testing for all Americans, even those uninsured. It also includes provisions to create “emergency paid leave” for those forced into quarantine, to expand food stamps and unemployment insurance for those affected by the coronavirus and related school and business closures, and to provide meals to children who would otherwise get food at school.
Pelosi has said that the House will work toward a third emergency response package once the legislation lawmakers are putting together now is signed.
In brief remarks Friday afternoon, Pelosi didn’t say whether House Democrats had reached an agreement with either House Republicans or the White House, despite repeated conversations between Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to try to strike a deal.
President Trump, on Friday, declared a national emergency to deal with the coronavirus.
