Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
House Sidelined By Struggle To Adapt In Social-Distancing Era
The Washington Post: ‘We’re Basically Ill-Prepared’: Hobbled House Majority Frets About Its Effectiveness Amid Pandemic
House Democrats have blasted President Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic as inept and dangerous. Party leaders insisted on the creation of a special committee to root out abuse in the nearly $3 trillion of federal aid flowing to shuttered businesses and unemployed workers. And they have called for a robust national strategy for mass testing and tracing of the illness that has claimed more than 53,000 U.S. lives. Yet amid the biggest national crisis in generations, the one branch of government where Democrats hold power has largely sidelined itself, struggling so far to adopt remote voting, Zoom video hearings or any of the other alternative methods that have become standard for most workplaces in the age of covid-19. (DeBonis and Kane, 4/26)
Politico: Backlash Grows As Pandemic Relief Stumbles
Congress’ mad dash to shovel nearly $3 trillion into the economy and rescue failing industries met little resistance as the coronavirus crisis overwhelmed communities across the country. But now the hangover has set in. The sprawling CARES Act, and its similarly rushed companion bills, has fueled rising angst for lawmakers. They’ve been bombarded with complaints about breakdowns in the small business lending program, loopholes that have allowed large companies to snatch cash meant for smaller operations and administrative failures that have delayed stimulus checks to struggling American households. (Cheney and Ferris, 4/27)
The Washington Post: McConnell’s Rejection Of Federal Aid For States Risks Causing A Depression, Analysts Say
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) would rather see states declare bankruptcy than give them federal aid to deal with the economic collapse triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. That’s a recipe for turning a potentially short recession into a prolonged depression, according to officials and analysts. (McCartney, 4/27)
The Hill: McConnell, Democrats Feud Over State Aid Amid Coronavirus
A fight over funding for state and local governments is emerging as an early flashpoint in talks over another coronavirus relief bill. The clash — which pits Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) — is raising fresh questions about the ability to keep Congress’s response to the coronavirus bipartisan. (Carney, 4/26)
The Washington Post: Tensions Emerge Among Republicans Over Coronavirus Spending And How To Rescue The Economy
The economic havoc wreaked by the coronavirus pandemic is opening up a rift in the Republican Party — as the Trump administration and some GOP senators advocate for more aggressive spending while senior party leaders say now may be the time to start scaling back. President Trump is promoting costly ideas such as infrastructure investment and a payroll tax cut as his top economic official plays down the impact of additional virus spending on the national debt. (Kim, 4/25)
Politico: Big-Government Conservatives Mount Takeover Of GOP
Crises nearly always create political upheaval. In recent history the catastrophes of 9/11 and the Great Recession both defined American politics for the decade that came after each event. The crisis of Covid-19, which has already killed far more Americans than the 9/11 attacks and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that were waged in response, seems likely to have a similar effect. (Lizza, 4/27)
The Wall Street Journal: At Least 13 Public Companies Give Back $170 Million In Small-Business Stimulus Money. Others Say They’ll Keep It.
At least 13 of the public companies that received coronavirus hardship loans said they would return the money amid mounting scrutiny, while some of the smaller public companies said they needed the money to keep employees from losing their jobs. The decisions are the latest twists in the rushed and turbulent rollout of the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program, a portion of last month’s $2 trillion stimulus package intended to help small businesses and limit layoffs through the coronavirus pandemic. Lawmakers and independent business owners have criticized public companies for tapping a program that quickly ran out of funds. (Pacheco and Davis, 4/26)
The Hill: US Capping How Much Banks Can Lend As Part Of Coronavirus Emergency Program
The Trump administration will impose limits on how much individual banks can lend under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) due to the program's high demand among businesses seeking relief from effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Reuters reported Sunday that the Small Business Administration (SBA) will limit individual banks and lenders to 10 percent of the program's overall funding, or $60 billion, and direct financial institutions to slow the pace of applications for the program. (Bowden, 4/26)
The Wall Street Journal: IRS Recalling Thousands Of Workers
The Internal Revenue Service is bringing thousands of employees back to agency offices on Monday to deal with a growing backlog of work amid the coronavirus pandemic. The IRS is recalling some people who do work that must be done in person, according to an internal email released by Reps. Richard Neal (D., Mass.) and John Lewis (D., Ga.). In that email, IRS executives told workers they would be required to wear cloth face coverings and bring their own in case the government couldn’t provide them yet. (Rubin, 4/26)
