Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
McConnell Signals Senate Interest In Fifth Coronavirus Relief Bill
The Hill: McConnell Predicts Congress Will Need Fifth Coronavirus Bill
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on Monday that he believes there will be a fifth coronavirus relief bill, as the country sees an uptick in the number of cases. "We will be taking a look at — in the Senate in a couple of weeks — another package based on the conditions that we confront today," McConnell said in Louisville, Ky. McConnell added on the potential for a fifth coronavirus bill that "I believe there will be one." (Carney, 7/6)
The Hill: McConnell Opens Door To Direct Payments In Next Coronavirus Bill
Asked if funding for individuals like the stimulus checks included in a March package would be in the next piece of legislation, which would be the fifth in response to COVID-19, McConnell said they "could well" be. "I think the people that have been hit the hardest are people who make about $40,000 or less. Many of them work in the hospitality industry. .... That could well be a part of it," McConnell said. (Carney, 7/6)
NBC News: McConnell Opens Door To More Coronavirus Stimulus Checks For Low-Income Americans
McConnell said one of his top priorities for the bill would be liability protection to protect businesses from coronavirus-related litigation. "This is not just for businesses. This is for hospitals, doctors, nurses, nonprofits, universities, colleges, K-12, so that people who acted in good faith during this crisis are not confronted with a second epidemic of lawsuits in the wake of a pandemic that we're already struggling with," he said. (Thorp V, Tsirkin and Gregorian, 7/6)
In other Capitol Hill news —
Politico: Rep. Bill Pascrell Expected To Recover After Undergoing Heart Surgery On Sunday
Rep. Bill Pascrell underwent heart surgery on Sunday to relieve blocked arteries, days before New Jersey’s primary election. The 83-year-old New Jersey Democrat wrote on Twitter that he was feeling much better and is expected to completely recover. (Cohen, 7/6)
