GOP fault lines appear as some press for more economic relief while others demand a spending pause

Published May 21, 2020 4:00am ET



Cracks are appearing in the Senate Republican wall against a new phase of massive economic relief spending as populist conservatives and vulnerable incumbents begin to clamor for a new round of legislative action while leadership counsels patience.

The consensus GOP position, with the White House’s blessing, remains putting such plans on “pause.” Many Republican senators want to evaluate the impact of the vast sums of money they have already agreed to spend in four previous bills, trillions of dollars, and see how the economic reopening progresses. There is also widespread reluctance to advance House spending measures viewed as simply funding Democratic priorities that lack liability reforms for reopening businesses, a GOP priority.

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