Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Senate On Cusp Of Agreement On Wide-Ranging $2T Stimulus Package
Reuters: Mnuchin Hopes Deal Is 'Very Close' On $2-Trillion Coronavirus Aid Package In U.S. Senate
The U.S. Treasury secretary and the Senate Democratic leader voiced confidence late on Monday for a deal to be reached soon on a far-reaching coronavirus economic stimulus package that had been stalled in the U.S. Senate as lawmakers haggled over it. (Cowan and Morgan, 3/23)
The Associated Press: Negotiators Close On Nearly $2 Trillion Virus Aid Package
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said they had spoken by phone with President Donald Trump during the long night of negotiations. While the two sides have resolved many issues in the sweeping package, some remain. At midnight Monday, they emerged separately to say talks would continue into the night. “We look forward to having a deal tomorrow,” Mnuchin told reporters after exiting Schumer’s office. “The president is giving us direction,” Mnuhcin said. “The president would like to have a deal and he’s hopeful we can conclude this.” (Mascaro, Taylor and Lemire, 3/23)
The Hill: Mnuchin, Schumer Brief Trump, Expect Coronavirus Stimulus Deal Tuesday
Schumer added that Mnuchin called the president during their meeting and they told him they were "very, very close to an agreement." "He seemed very happy with that," Schumer said. Trump knocked Democrats in a tweet minutes after Mnuchin had gone into Schumer’s office for another meeting. (Carney, 3/24)
The Washington Post: Democrats Block $2 Trillion Coronavirus Rescue Bill, Senate Floor Erupts In Partisan Anger
After a day of partisan rancor and posturing on Capitol Hill, the outlook grew markedly more positive later in the afternoon, when offers and counteroffers were exchanged. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) convened Democrats on a conference call and told them he was hopeful about striking a deal by the end of the day, according to a person familiar with the call who spoke on the condition of anonymity to reveal details. Schumer was very upbeat, according to another Democrat, who listened into the call and spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe it. Some senators encouraged Schumer to announce a deal in principle Monday evening, but several issues remained unresolved. (Werner, Kane, Bade and DeBonis, 3/24)
The Wall Street Journal: Senate Fails To Advance Coronavirus Rescue Package For Second Day
In the Senate negotiations, Democrats want to place more controls on nearly $500 billion for helping distressed businesses, comprising loans made directly by the Treasury Department and backstopping losses in lending facilities launched or expanded by the Federal Reserve. Of the total, about $75 billion would go directly to distressed industries such as air carriers. Democrats worry that the pool of money could become a tool by the administration to reward favored companies in secret, since the Treasury secretary could delay disclosing financial aid for six months. Among stricter conditions Democrats want on the aid are those to encourage companies to retain workers. (Hughes and Duehren, 3/23)
Politico: Mnuchin, Schumer Say Coronavirus Rescue Package Deal Very Close
According to three sources, Mnuchin had agreed to a key Democratic demand for "strict oversight" over a $500 billion "Exchange Stabilization Fund" designed to lend money to corporations and municipalities. Senate Democrats had attacked the entity as a "slush fund" under the initial Senate GOP proposal, which had no congressional regulation and allowed Mnuchin to withhold information on who received loans for six months. Schumer also said Mnuchin had agreed to a "Marshall Plan" for hospitals to help respond to the growing coronavirus crisis. Senate Republicans had offered $75 billion for hospitals, but Schumer and Pelosi sought hundreds of billions in additional funding. (Bresnahan, Levine and Ferris, 3/23)
CNN: Doug Jones Says He Broke With Party On Coronavirus Bill Because 'The Clock Is Ticking'
Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama said that he voted to advance Senate Republicans' controversial coronavirus package -- the lone Democrat to do so -- to highlight that progress is being made on the bill and time to act is running out. When asked by CNN's Jake Tapper why he voted for the legislation Monday after voting against it on Sunday, Jones replied, "Because I think there's been great progress." (Kelly, 3/23)
Politico: How The House Democrats' Stimulus Plan Compares To The Senate's
Democrats are following through on their threat to go rogue with their own stimulus plan, unveiling a more than 1,400-page bill Monday night, packed with policy differences compared to the proposal Senate Republicans laid out. After the GOP’s latest measure tanked twice during test votes in the Senate, House Democrats wrote a competing proposal to save the country from economic destruction at the hands of the coronavirus. The House measure would boost emergency funds for agencies, mandate "green" rules for airlines, eliminate a payroll tax suspension, kick in additional help for hospitals, schools and food banks, and more. (Emma and Scholtes, 3/23)
The Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Cases In Congress Bring New Urgency To Remote Voting
Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s husband is in the hospital with Covid-19, adding the Minnesota Democrat to the growing list of lawmakers touched by the coronavirus pandemic, as calls mounted for Congress to consider unprecedented legislation that would enable remote voting during a national emergency. John Bessler, a professor of law at the University of Baltimore School of Law, became sick while the senator was in Minnesota, Ms. Klobuchar’s office said in a statement. He quarantined himself, and as his symptoms progressed, he was admitted to a hospital in Virginia. (Andrews, Wise and Tau, 3/23)
The Washington Post: Six Days: Tracking Sen. Rand Paul From Coronavirus Testing To Positive Diagnosis
Aware of his extensive travel and compromised health, Sen. Rand Paul quietly got himself tested for the novel coronavirus on March 16. But for the six days that his results were pending, the Kentucky Republican took no steps to self-quarantine — continuing to cast votes on the Senate floor, delivering a speech lambasting a coronavirus aid bill, and meeting with other GOP senators in strategy sessions that defied federal advisories warning against gatherings of more than 10 people. (Kim, Scherer and Kane, 3/23)
The New York Times: Rand Paul’s Positive Coronavirus Test Sets The (Still Meeting) Senate On Edge
In another workplace, in another town, the news that a colleague who, days and even hours before testing positive for the novel coronavirus, had been dining and meeting and working out alongside his co-workers might have spurred some drastic measures. Not so in Congress. (Edmondson, 3/23)
Elsewhere on Capitol Hill —
Politico: Shareholder Suit Accuses Sen. Richard Burr Of Securities Fraud
Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) is being sued after selling shares in a hotel company while possessing confidential information about the potential impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Alan Jacobson, a shareholder in Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, sued Burr in federal court on Monday, alleging that the senator used private information to motivate a mass liquidation of his assets. It is illegal for senators to use nonpublic information in conducting securities exchanges. (Choi, 3/23)
Politico: House Panel Warns Coronavirus Could Destroy Postal Service By June
The U.S. Postal Service could be gone by June unless Congress immediately delivers billions of dollars to counteract the impact of the coronavirus crisis, a House committee chairwoman warned Monday night. "Based on a number of briefings and warnings this week about a critical fall-off in mail across the country, it has become clear that the Postal Service will not survive the summer without immediate help from Congress and the White House," said Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) in a statement. (Cheney, 3/23)
