Lawmakers Barrel Toward $7.5B Emergency Funding Plan With Unusual Speed For Divided Congress

The Washington Post: Congress Closes In On $7.5 Billion Coronavirus Emergency Spending Package
Bipartisan negotiators on Capitol Hill are closing in on a $7.5 billion emergency spending bill to fight the coronavirus, two people familiar with the negotiations said Monday. The legislation is likely to be made public on Tuesday and pass the House later this week, before moving to the Senate. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity ahead of its public release. Negotiators worked through the weekend to try to finalize the spending bill, working with a sense of urgency as the deadly new virus spreads inside the United States and worldwide. On Monday, health officials in Washington state reported six deaths from the virus. (Werner, 3/2)

The Hill: Congress Closes In On Deal For $7.5 Billion In Coronavirus Funding 
Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said they were "that close" to the deal, while holding up two fingers close together to indicate the small space left to negotiate. "I think we're so close that we're going to get a deal," Shelby said, adding that he hoped the agreement could be finalized as soon as Monday night. Shelby was cagey on what the final figure could be, only telling reporters when pressed about going above $7 billion that he would support a "high" number. (Carney, 3/2)

Politico: Hill Leaders Close To Striking Emergency Coronavirus Funding Deal
In a sign of the gravity of the situation, Republicans and Democrats appear likely to sidestep a major political fight over reauthorizing FBI surveillance powers that are set to expire on March 15, which had threatened to complicate the passage of any funding package on the floor this month. And GOP leaders have agreed to drop any demand that Congress fully pay for the package, eliminating another major hurdle for the bill’s passage. Both chambers are also moving at a much faster clip than typical funding packages, with the House slated to vote mid-week, followed by a Senate vote as soon as this week. (Ferris and Emma, 3/2)

Roll Call: Coronavirus Funding Talks Held Up Over Drug Price Language 
Disagreement over provisions intended to ensure affordability of vaccines and other medications is holding up agreement on an emergency funding package to fight the novel coronavirus-caused illness that has killed over 3,000 worldwide, sources familiar with the talks said. Republicans are raising concerns that Democrats’ proposals would chill research and development and interfere with the development of a vaccine, according to sources who spoke without being identified so they could talk freely. Republicans say they share the goal of making sure a vaccine is affordable, but do not want to suppress its development. (Krawzak, 3/2)

Roll Call: Jayapal Warns Against Mixing Coronavirus Aid And Surveillance Extension 
How difficult could the vote counting be for an emergency spending bill to respond to the coronavirus if leadership tries to attach an extension of expiring surveillance powers? Just ask one of the lawmakers whose constituents have been near the epicenter of a coronavirus outbreak in Washington state. Seattle-area Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal told reporters at the Capitol on Monday that the question of whether to tie up the expected $7 billion to $8 billion supplemental spending package for the COVID-19 response with the debate over extending Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act authorities “really just drives me nuts because I had six people die today and over the last couple of days from coronavirus.” (Lesniewski and Tully-McManus, 3/2)

USA Today: 'This Is Not Sustainable': Public Health Departments, Decimated By Funding Cuts, Scramble Against Coronavirus
As state and local public health offices scramble to respond to the coronavirus outbreak, they do so against a backdrop of years-long budget cuts, leaving them without the trained employees or updated equipment to adequately address the virus' growing threat, former public health officials say. In the last 15 years, public health, the country's frontline defense in epidemics, lost 45% of its inflation-adjusted funding for staff, training, equipment and supplies. (O'Donnell, 3/2)

The Associated Press: Pence Tells Governors Money For Coronavirus Costs Is Coming
The Trump administration on Monday reassured governors that they will be reimbursed for at least some of the costs of responding to the spread of the coronavirus, as several states began setting aside millions of dollars to head off a public health crisis. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Vice President Mike Pence addressed state needs for equipment and funding to fight the spread of the coronavirus during a call with governors. He told them the administration would find the money to reimburse them. (Gomez Licon, 3/2)

In other news from Capitol Hill —

Roll Call: House OKs Constituent Mailings On Coronavirus Despite Blackout Period 
The House has eased the strict ban on franked mass mailings ahead of elections to allow lawmakers to communicate with constituents about the coronavirus. A Dear Colleague Letter from the House Administration Committee, referenced by Speaker Nancy Pelosi over the weekend, specified that coronavirus is a significant enough threat to trigger an exception to the mailing standards. (Tully-McManus, 3/2)