On Capitol Hill, Funding ‘Cliffs’ Loom For COVID-19 Aid
Now in the midst of the July recess, when lawmakers return to Washington they will face an aggressive to-do list that makes time tight to reach a compromise to address the public health and economic crises facing the nation.
ABC News:
Congress Is On Recess For 2 Weeks. Here’s Where They Leave Off On COVID-19 Relief.
While America’s financial leaders may be split about whether the U.S. is on its way to economic recovery, both Democrats and Republicans largely agree that additional measures -- including another stimulus package -- is inevitable. It will all have to wait, however, until after Congress returns from its Fourth of July recess, a two-week vacation that leaves legislation at a standstill. (Haslett and Pecorin, 7/3)
Politico:
Congress Stares Down Funding Cliff For Coronavirus Aid
As the U.S. enters its sixth month of grappling with the coronavirus pandemic — with cases soaring and unemployment claims hovering in the millions — Congress is again facing a double-barreled dilemma: how to address both the health and economic catastrophes threatening the country. And in typical Congress fashion, lawmakers have teed up a crunch time crisis this month, giving themselves just a few weeks to wrangle together a massive bipartisan coronavirus relief deal and ship it to President Donald Trump. (Caygle, Levine and Ferris, 7/2)
Meanwhile, members of Congress increasingly respond to the on-the-ground political issues that accompany the novel coronavirus -
The Hill:
Democrats Fear US Already Lost COVID-19 Battle
Democrats are increasingly concerned that the country has lost the fight against the novel coronavirus. For months, beginning in March, public health officials had promoted — and local policymakers had imposed — strict stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines that appeared to contain the spread of COVID-19. But in the last two weeks, as states threw open the doors to their economies and consumers emerged from isolation, the number of cases has skyrocketed in states around the country, leading to a record daily spike that topped 57,000 for the first time on Friday. (Lillis and Wong, 7/5)
