Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Democrats Pan McConnell's Push For Liability Coverage In Next Relief Package
The Wall Street Journal: Mitch McConnell Wants To Shield Companies From Liability In Coronavirus-Related Suits
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told Republican lawmakers on a private call that he wants to shield companies from liability over pandemic-related suits and doesn’t support including an infrastructure package in a coronavirus relief bill, according to people familiar with the call, despite President Trump’s push for infrastructure investment. The Kentucky Republican is responding to a major push by American businesses, which are getting hit with lawsuits as workers in meat-processing facilities, grocery stores, retailers and other locations get sick or die from Covid-19. (Andrews, 4/28)
The Hill: McConnell Draws 'Red Line' On Coronavirus Bill: It Won't Pass Without 'Liability Protection'
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday that the next coronavirus bill has to include liability protections for employers or it will not pass the Senate. "My red line going forward on this bill is we need to provide protection, litigation protection, for those who have been on the front lines. ... We can't pass another bill unless we have liability protection," McConnell said during an interview on Fox News, calling the additional legal protections a "condition" for the bill. (Carney, 4/28)
The New York Times: Businesses Seek Sweeping Shield From Coronavirus Liability Before They Reopen
Business lobbyists and executives are pushing the Trump administration and Congress to shield American companies from a wide range of potential lawsuits related to reopening the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic, opening a new legal and political fight over how the nation deals with the fallout from Covid-19. Government officials are beginning the slow process of lifting restrictions on economic activity in states and local areas across the country. (Tankersley and Savage, 4/28)
Politico: Democrats Dismiss McConnell's 'Sad' New Coronavirus Offer
Democratic leaders are panning Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's offer to marry new liability protections with aid to state and city governments, signaling a tough fight for Congress' next round of coronavirus aid. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in an interview on Monday afternoon that he is "going to insist" that providing liability protections to businesses and employees be part of the next bill that will provide billions to local governments. But Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) may not go along. (Everett and Caygle, 4/28)
Politico: Trump Suggests Federal Bailout For States Could Hinge On Sanctuary City Policies
President Donald Trump on Tuesday suggested that state and local bailout money from the federal government could hinge on whether the immigration policies of the individual governments seeking relief align with Trump administration priorities. From skyrocketing health care expenses to the costs of an unprecedented economic shutdown, the coronavirus has imperiled state and local budgets across the country, prompting calls for federal relief. (Ward, 4/28)
The Hill: Schumer Ramps Up Offensive On Lack Of GOP Oversight Of Trump's Coronavirus Response
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Democratic colleagues sent a letter Tuesday to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Republican chairmen urging them to hold oversight hearings on the Trump administration’s handling of the coronavirus crisis. In a follow-up phone call with the Senate Democratic Conference Tuesday afternoon, Schumer told colleagues that Democrats will make oversight of the Trump administration’s handling of the crisis a major issue in the weeks ahead. (Bolton, 4/28)
Reuters: U.S. House Not Returning Next Week, Trump Says Democrats On 'Vacation'
Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives will not return to Washington next week as planned, due to the continuing risk of coronavirus infection, Democratic leaders said on Tuesday, a reversal of plans outlined only a day earlier. (Cornwell and Morgan, 4/28)
The Washington Post: House Drops Plans To Return To D.C., Citing Virus Risk; McConnell Vows Senate Will Vote Monday
With proposed changes allowing for more significant remote work on hold amid a partisan uproar, the House will remain largely sidelined while Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) brings his chamber into session next week to process President Trump’s judicial nominees and start work on a new coronavirus relief bill. The House decision, announced by Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) on a Tuesday morning call with reporters, came less than a day after he told lawmakers to prepare to return to Washington on May 4. (DeBonis and Kim, 4/28)
The Hill: House Reverses, But Senate To Return Despite COVID Threat
House Democrats on Tuesday reversed course on plans to bring the chamber back into session next week as Senate Republicans vowed to return despite a growing number of coronavirus cases in Washington, D.C. The contrasting approaches of the two chambers over whether it’s safe for Congress to be in session served as a microcosm of the broader partisan fight over how and when to reopen the nation’s economy. (Marcos and Lillis, 4/28)
Politico: House Drops Plan To Return After Lawmaker Backlash
“We made a judgment that we will not come back next week but that we hope to come back very soon,” Hoyer told reporters on a press call. Hoyer said he and Pelosi made the decision to halt plans to return after consulting Monday evening with the Capitol’s attending physician, who warned that lawmakers could be at risk given the still-rising number of coronavirus cases in the Washington, D.C. area. Nearly 4,000 people have tested positive in D.C., as of Monday, plus thousands more in the Maryland and Virginia suburbs. (Ferris, Caygle and Zanona, 4/28)
