Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
House To Stay In Session Until COVID Relief Deal Done, Pelosi Says
USA Today: Pelosi Says House Will Stay In Session Until Coronavirus Stimulus Deal Is Reached, Moderate Lawmakers Push For Compromise
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday the House will stay in session until a breakthrough is made on a coronavirus stimulus bill, while moderate lawmakers pressed leaders to come up with a relief deal before the November elections. "We are committed to staying here until we have an agreement, an agreement that meets the needs of the American people,” Pelosi said on CNBC Tuesday. Her words signaled relief talks between congressional Democrats and President Donald Trump's White House may be salvaged even though the two sides don't appear any closer to an agreement. (Hayes, Wu and King, 9/15)
Roll Call: Despite Pressure For COVID-19 Relief Deal, Stalemate Continues
Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday heeded a call from her members to commit to keeping the House in session until there’s a coronavirus relief deal, but the vow does little to break the stalemate in bipartisan negotiations that is at the heart of Democrats’ concerns. House Democrats have been fretting privately for weeks and more publicly since returning to Washington on Monday about being sent home to voters without any additional COVID-19 assistance enacted. (McPherson, 9/15)
In related news —
Roll Call: House Democrats Worry Pre-Election Schedule Lacks Coronavirus Relief
With only 11 legislative days scheduled before the November election, House Democrats are fretting about the possibility of going home to voters without any additional COVID-19 assistance enacted into law. The concerns are more about wanting to get aid into the pockets of struggling Americans as soon as possible than the optics of not securing relief before voters head to the polls, but the latter is starting to weigh on some members as hopes of a bipartisan deal have faded over the past month. (McPerson, 9/15)
The Hill: Pelosi Seeks To Put Pressure On GOP In COVID-19 Relief Battle
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Tuesday sought to heighten the pressure on Republicans to move a new round of coronavirus relief, announcing that the House will return to the Capitol next month to vote on another aid package if a bipartisan agreement is struck before the elections. Pelosi stopped short of promising a House vote on a new emergency stimulus proposal before the chamber recesses at the end of September — a tactic endorsed by a growing number of moderate Democrats concerned about the political optics of leaving Washington without acting to address the health and economic fallout of the deadly pandemic. (Lillis and Wong, 9/15)
Politico: Pelosi Faces Growing Democratic Unrest Over Covid Relief
Speaker Nancy Pelosi faces growing calls from within her own ranks — including from some of her most vulnerable members — to take quick action on a coronavirus relief bill even if there’s no agreement with Republicans or the White House over the issue. But Pelosi, supported by her leadership team and most committee chairs, is refusing to back down from her demands for a bipartisan $2.2 trillion-plus stimulus package to boost the U.S. economy, which Republicans have repeatedly dismissed. (Caygle, Ferris and Bresnahan, 9/15)
