Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Senate Relief Bill Measures Face Revolt By Some Republicans
Politico: ‘It’s A Mess’: Republican Senators Deride Key Proposals In GOP Virus Package
Senate Republicans complained on Tuesday about key provisions in the GOP-authored coronavirus relief bill one day after its unveiling, as Democrats panned the proposal as a non-starter. The jockeying on Capitol Hill underscores how far apart both parties remain — and the treacherous path Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell faces as he confronts internal GOP divisions and kicks off negotiations with Democrats. (Desiderio, Levine and Cagyle, 7/28)
The Hill: GOP Under Mounting Pressure To Strike Virus Deal Quickly
Republican lawmakers faced with slipping poll numbers and economic indicators acknowledge they are under pressure to reach a quick deal with Democrats on a new coronavirus package. Armed with more leverage, Democrats will likely not agree to any deal unless it is closer to the $3.4 trillion bill the House passed in May. Republican officials don’t see any advantages to drawing the battle out. (Bolton, 7/29)
The Washington Post: Trump Calls New Senate GOP Coronavirus Bill ‘Semi-Irrelevant’
President Trump brushed off the new $1 trillion Senate GOP coronavirus legislation as “sort of semi-irrelevant” Tuesday, dismissing its significance just a day after Senate Republican leaders overcame contentious internal divisions to roll it out. At the Capitol, meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) disavowed a key Trump administration priority in the bill — funding for a new FBI headquarters — while the second-ranking GOP senator suggested that Congress might be unable to make a deal in time to avert the expiration of emergency unemployment benefits on Friday. (Werner, Min Kim and Stein, 7/28)
The Washington Post: Senate GOP Won’t Extend Pandemic Food Stamps But Doubles ‘Three-Martini Lunch’ Deduction
Republicans’ Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection and Schools Act (the Heals Act) does not expand the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, nor does it extend the Pandemic EBT program, a debit-card benefit for households with children who have temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price school meals. The Pandemic EBT program expired at the end of June. ... Although the Senate GOP proposal offers no new funds for SNAP and Pandemic EBT, it does double the tax deduction for business meals, known as the “three-martini-lunch deduction,” increasing the reimbursement from 50 percent to 100 percent of meals. (Reiley, 7/28)
Other response to the bill —
CNBC: Most Swing-State Voters Support Extending $600 Weekly Unemployment Benefit, CNBC/Change Research Poll Finds
As Congress debates how to shape the next phase of coronavirus relief, most voters in six swing states want lawmakers to continue the aid that buoyed Americans through the early stages of the economic crisis, according to a new CNBC/Change Research poll. (Pramuk, 7/29)
The Hill: Lobbyists See Wins, Losses In GOP Coronavirus Bill
Business groups are taking stock of what’s in, and what’s out, of the GOP coronavirus relief bill as they turn their focus to lobbying Democrats in an effort to retain key provisions or add others back into a final measure. The hard-hit travel and retail industries praised the Senate GOP legislation, though others, like restaurant groups and child care providers, say the package that’s being negotiated now with Democratic leaders wouldn’t go far enough to help them survive the coronavirus recession. (Gangitano, 7/28)
