Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Ends Coronavirus Relief Talks — Then Tweets Otherwise
The Washington Post: Trump Abruptly Cuts Off Coronavirus Aid Talks, But Tweets Send Mixed Messages
Coronavirus relief talks came to an abrupt halt Tuesday as President Trump ordered Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to stop negotiating with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi until after the November election. Hours later, however, Trump appeared to contradict himself in a series of tweets that called for Congress to “IMMEDIATELY” approve additional aid for small businesses and airlines. (Noori Farzan, 10/7)
Miami Herald: Trump: No Stimulus Deal, Focus On Barrett SCOTUS Nomination
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he’s stopped negotiations on another coronavirus relief bill until after the election, instead urging focus on the confirmation of his Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. (Lin and Aldridge, 10/6)
ABC News: In Late-Night Tweets, Trump Changes Course On Coronavirus Relief Talks
In a pair of late-night tweets, President Donald Trump, changed course on negotiating coronavirus relief that he had earlier announced he was calling off until after the election. "The House & Senate should IMMEDIATELY Approve 25 Billion Dollars for Airline Payroll Support, & 135 Billion Dollars for Paycheck Protection Program for Small Business. Both of these will be fully paid for with unused funds from the Cares Act. Have this money. I will sign now!" he posted shortly before 10 p.m. (Khan, 10/6)
The Hill: Trump Says He Will Back Specific Relief Measures Hours After Halting Talks
President Trump late Tuesday signaled he would support specific measures on stimulus checks, help for the airline industry and small business loans, hours after cutting off bipartisan talks for more coronavirus relief. “The House & Senate should IMMEDIATELY Approve 25 Billion Dollars for Airline Payroll Support, & 135 Billion Dollars for Paycheck Protection Program for Small Business. Both of these will be fully paid for with unused funds from the Cares Act. Have this money. I will sign now!” Trump tweeted Tuesday, referring to the coronavirus stimulus package passed in March. (Axelrod, 10/6)
In related news —
The New York Times: Jerome Powell, Fed Chair, Says Economy Has 'A Long Way To Go' As Trump Calls Off Stimulus Talks
Hours after the Federal Reserve chair, Jerome H. Powell, warned that the economy could see “tragic” results without robust government support, President Trump abruptly cut off stimulus talks, sending the stock market sliding and delivering a final blow to any chance of getting additional pandemic aid to struggling Americans before the election. (Smialek, Cochrane and Tankersley, 10/6)
Washington Post: ‘Doomed To Fail’: Why A $4 Trillion Bailout Couldn’t Revive The American Economy
The four spending bills that Congress passed earlier this year to address the coronavirus crisis amounted to one of the costliest relief efforts in U.S. history, and the undertaking soon won praise across the political spectrum for its size and speed. ... Six months later, however, the nation’s coronavirus battle is far from won, and if the prodigious relief spending was supposed to target the neediest and move the country beyond the pandemic, much of the money missed the mark. (Whoriskey, MacMillan, O'Connell, Shin and Pascual, 10/5)
In other news from Capitol Hill —
Politico: House Democrats Seek To Block Funds For 'Defeat Despair' Covid Ads
House Democrats overseeing the Trump administration's coronavirus response will introduce a largely symbolic bill intended to limit the administration's ability to spend federal funds on certain coronavirus-related advertisements before the election, according to a draft shared first with POLITICO. The Defeat Pandemic Propaganda Act of 2020 is authored by Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), joined by Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y), Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.). The Democrats' bill would bar HHS from using taxpayer funds on an ad campaign to "positively influence public perception regarding the Covid–19 pandemic," specifically distort any facts or encourage risky behaviors amid the outbreak. (Diamond, 10/6)
The Hill: Top Democrats Accuse White House Of Withholding Information On COVID-19 Outbreak
Top Senate Democrats are accusing the White House of "deliberately" withholding information about a coronavirus outbreak after a Rose Garden event, which the lawmakers called a "super spreader." Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) and Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), the No. 3 Democrat and ranking member of the health committee, sent a letter to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows saying the White House had "conducted itself in a secretive manner and shown a complete lack of regard for public health and safety" after President Trump and top staffers tested positive for COVID-19. (Carney, 10/6)
