House Democrats Press The Gas Pedal On Next Relief Package Even As Republicans Pump The Brakes
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other Democratic leaders are putting finishing touches on their next relief package, but Senate Republicans have not budged from their wait-and-see stance. While the White House begins informal talks with both sides, advisers say they are not in a rush to pass anything yet. Meanwhile, the previous stimulus efforts are having mixed results.
The Wall Street Journal:
Democrats Push Ahead With Coronavirus Plan Amid Break In Talks
House Democrats are pushing to complete their next coronavirus-aid proposal this week in the face of deepening economic gloom, but talks with the White House and the Republican-controlled Senate are on ice over disagreements over the pace and content of the next package. Democrats argue for urgent new spending, on top of the roughly $3 trillion allocated so far for businesses, households, states and cities, among others. But some Republicans and President Trump counter that lawmakers should take a wait-and-see stance on more payments and have prioritized other policies, such as shielding businesses from liability. (Andrews, 5/10)
Reuters:
White House Considers More Coronavirus Aid As Jobs Picture Worsens
The White House has begun informal talks with Republicans and Democrats in Congress about what to include in another round of coronavirus relief legislation, officials said on Sunday, while predicting further U.S. jobs losses in the coming months. (Morgan and Heavey, 5/10)
The New York Times:
As Banks Stumble In Delivering Aid, Congress Weighs Other Options
When the federal government agreed to funnel $2.2 trillion in emergency aid to Americans devastated by the economic shutdown, the nation’s banks were given a central role. There were three main prongs of relief for taxpayers and American businesses, all routed through the banks in various ways: stimulus checks, a $660 billion package for small businesses, and unemployment benefits. Confronted with an unprecedented crush of need as millions of Americans lost their livelihoods, the banks stumbled in ways big and small. (Flitter and Cochrane, 5/11)
The Washington Post:
Stimulus Impact On Deficit Drives Fears Among White House Conservatives
Senior Trump administration officials are growing increasingly wary of the massive federal spending to combat the economic downturn and are considering ways to limit the impact of future stimulus efforts on the national debt, according to six administration officials and four external advisers familiar with the matter. (Stein, Dawsey and Hudson, 5/10)
Politico:
Lamar Alexander Warns 'Not Enough Money' To Help Everyone
Congress won't be able to appropriate enough money to help all those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, Sen. Lamar Alexander warned on Sunday. "There's not enough money to help everybody hurt when you shut down the government," the Tennessee Republican said on NBC's "Meet the Press." (Parthasarathy, 5/10)
ProPublica:
The Bailout Is Working — For The Rich
Ten weeks into the worst crisis in 90 years, the government’s effort to save the economy has been both a spectacular success and a catastrophic failure. The clearest illustration of that came on Friday, when the government reported that 20.5 million people lost their jobs in April. It marked a period of unfathomable pain across the country not seen since the Great Depression. Also on Friday, the stock market rallied. (Eisinger, 5/10)
Kaiser Health News:
COVID Bailout Cash Goes To Big Players That Have Paid Millions To Settle Allegations Of Wrongdoing
The Trump administration has sent hundreds of millions of dollars in pandemic-related bailouts to health care providers with checkered histories, including a Florida-based cancer center that agreed to pay a $100 million criminal penalty as part of a federal antitrust investigation. At least half of the top 10 recipients, part of a group that received $20 billion in emergency funding from the Department of Health and Human Services, have paid millions in recent years either in criminal penalties or to settle allegations related to improper billing and other practices, a Kaiser Health News review of government records shows. (Pradhan and Schulte, 5/9)
