Frustrations Roil Surface Of Relief Negotiations But Spur No Progress
Despite talk of a middle ground from President Donald Trump and some lawmakers, stimulus legislation negotiators end the week no closer to striking a deal.
Politico:
Congress Starts Its Weekend No Closer To A Coronavirus Deal
Democrats and Republicans appeared even further away from a coronavirus relief deal on Thursday, despite mounting calls from rank-and-file lawmakers — and even President Donald Trump — for action. With no mood for deal-making in either party, the House and Senate are leaving for the weekend with no progress on an agreement, casting further doubt that Congress can muster the political will to adopt another massive economic stimulus measure before the November election. (Ferris, Caygle and Bresnahan, 9/17)
The Hill:
Pelosi: 'Hard To See' Democrats Supporting Less Than $2.2T In COVID-19 Aid
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday said that she's hopeful the parties will reach an agreement on the next round of coronavirus relief but suggested Democrats aren't prepared to accept anything less than her last offer — $2.2 trillion — on a deal. "When we go into a negotiation it's about the allocation of the resources," she told reporters in the Capitol. "But it's hard to see how we can go any lower when you only have greater needs." (Lillis, 9/17)
Roll Call:
Deal Elusive On Stopgap Funding As Deadline Nears
There's no agreement on how long the continuing resolution will extend current funding levels, for starters, while tricky policy issues like upcoming redistricting-related census deadlines remain unresolved. What's more, there's even some talk among rank-and-file House Democrats about withholding their votes on the CR unless the House takes up coronavirus relief, despite a White House-leadership deal to keep the two issues separate. It wasn't clear how much traction that push was gaining. (Shutt, 9/17)
In other news from Capitol Hill —
The Hill:
McConnell Focuses On Confirming Judicial Nominees With COVID-19 Talks Stalled
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) turned the Senate's focus to confirming a slate of judicial nominees as talks over a fifth coronavirus package are stuck at an impasse. The Senate confirmed a total of eight judges this week: three on Tuesday, three on Wednesday and two on Thursday. (Carney, 9/17)
NBC News:
House Passes Resolution To Denounce Covid-19 Racism Toward Asian Americans
The House passed a resolution Thursday to denounce the racism toward Asian Americans that has risen as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The measure demands the condemnation of all forms of racism and scapegoating and calls on public officials to denounce any anti-Asian sentiment. While the legislation won heavy Democratic support, it also got some Republican backing, passing 243-164. Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., the resolution's main sponsor, said the vote showed that "the House said, 'Enough.'" (Yam, 9/17)
