Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Biden To Meet With GOP Senators On Compromise Relief Proposals
The Washington Post: Biden To Meet With Senate Republicans Offering Covid Relief Counter-Proposal
President Biden intends to meet on Monday with 10 GOP senators who are calling on him to make a bipartisan deal instead of forging ahead with a party-line vote on his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan. The group announced plans Sunday to release an approximately $600 billion coronavirus relief package as a counter-proposal to Biden’s much larger plan, posing a test for the new president who campaigned on promises to unify Congress and the country. (Werner, Stein and Kim, 1/31)
Politico: Biden Agrees To Meeting With GOP Senators On Covid Relief
In a letter to Biden sent on Sunday, the 10 Senate Republicans informed the president that they are working on a counterproposal focusing on spending $160 billion on vaccines, testing, treatment and personal protective equipment. Led by Collins, the senators said that if Biden signs off on their framework, “we believe that this plan could be approved quickly by Congress with bipartisan support.” “In the spirit of bipartisanship and unity, we have developed a COVID-19 relief framework that builds on prior COVID assistance laws, all of which passed with bipartisan support,” the senators wrote to Biden. “We request the opportunity to meet with you to discuss our proposal in greater detail and how we can work together to meet the needs of the American people during this persistent pandemic.” (Everett, 1/31)
The Hill: Sanders Says Democrats Have The Votes To Pass Another Relief Bill
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Sunday said that he believes Senate Democrats have the votes to pass another COVID-19 relief package. In an appearance on ABC's “This Week,” he was asked by host Martha Raddatz if he believes Democrats have enough votes as bipartisan support for a relief bill appears to dwindle. “Yes, I believe that we do because it's hard for me to imagine any Democrat, no matter what state he or she may come from, who doesn't understand the need to go forward right now in an aggressive way to protect the working families of this country,” Sanders said. (Choi, 1/31)
In related news about covid's economic toll —
CIDRAP: GAO Reiterates Need For Better COVID-19 Supply Chain, Relief Effort Tracking
Two days ago, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act entered its 10th month, and a US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report today says 27 of 31 previous implementation recommendations have not been resolved. This is the fifth report regarding the CARES Act, and as such, it covers similar topics as in its previous editions, including medical supply chains and program integrity, although its 13 new recommendations reflect the pandemic's progression. (McLernon, 1/29)
