Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Mask Confrontation Jolts Senate Floor; Two More House Members Test Positive
Boston Globe: Senators Clash Over Coronavirus Mask Protocol: ‘There Clearly Isn’t Much Interest In This Body In Public Health’
In an exchange that went viral on Monday night, Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown took to the Senate floor, with his opening remark being not a political statement but a request asked of his colleague, Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan: “I’d start by asking the presiding officer to please wear a mask as he speaks.” Brown, a Democrat, acknowledged that he didn’t have the power to tell his Republican colleague “what to do” in regard to adhering to the coronavirus safety measure before he was interrupted by Sullivan. (Larson, 11/17)
CNN: At Least 2 Members Of Congress Announce Positive Covid-19 Diagnoses Monday
At least two members of the US House of Representatives announced Monday that they tested positive for Covid-19 and another member announced he was isolating after possibly being exposed, a sign of the looming threat of coronavirus on Capitol Hill. (Diaz and Wilson, 11/16)
Politico: Rep. Cheri Bustos Tests Positive For Covid-19
Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) said on Monday she had tested positive for Covid-19.Bustos, via Twitter, said she was experiencing mild symptoms, self-isolating in Illinois and planning to work from home until cleared by her physician. She did not say how she might have become infected, but added that she had contacted all the people she’s interacted with. (Kim, 11/16)
The Washington Post: Pelosi Reversal Shows Political Perils For Democrats On Covid
The elaborate event seemed like the kind of celebration President Trump might host in the coronavirus era: about a dozen circular tables with purple and pink flowers brimming from gold vases, arranged in a grand but windowless room. But this was no Trump affair. It was a setup for a dinner to be hosted by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. (Bade, 11/6)
In other news from Capitol Hill —
Roll Call: Short-Term Punt Seen Likely For Spending Bills, Coronavirus Aid
Despite hopeful talk on both sides of the aisle, the odds are against congressional leaders reaching agreement on a COVID-19 relief package and omnibus appropriations bill to wrap up this year’s unfinished business in the lame-duck session. The most likely outcome is another stopgap spending bill, perhaps into late February or early March, with some limited bipartisan COVID-19 aid attached. That’s the view of Capitol Hill officials in both parties and other legislative experts. (Krawzak, 11/16)
Bloomberg: Federal $15 Minimum Wage Looks Increasingly Likely After Florida Vote
Pressure on Congress to boost the federal wage floor for the first time in 13 years is building after voters in Republican-leaning Florida approved a ballot initiative to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026. Seven states already have passed laws that will eventually bring their minimum wage to $15, but they’re ones that typically back Democrats and progressive labor policies, including California and New York. That Floridians bypassed their Republican-controlled legislature to enact the new wage by constitutional amendment will be impossible to ignore, says Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, executive director of the progressive Ballot Initiative Strategy Center in Washington. (Rockeman, Miller and Sasso, 11/17)
