WASHINGTON — Democrats and Republicans in Congress remained deadlocked Monday morning over a massive stimulus package to respond to the coronavirus, with Democrats arguing the current version doesn’t protect workers enough and is too lax on corporate bailout rules.
To try to break the stalemate, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was scheduled to meet with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on Monday morning to discuss a path forward. They negotiated late into the night Sunday with two phone calls around midnight.
In morning TV interviews ahead of the meeting, Mnuchin emphasized that the Senate needs to pass something by Monday. Responding to Democratic criticism that the proposal includes a “slush fund,” he told Fox Business Network that the legislation being considered is not a slush fund but rather a “mechanism” that the Treasury Department can use along with the Federal Reserve to provide another $4 trillion to the economy.
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Bipartisan talks over the GOP-sponsored legislation collapsed Sunday because of those sticking points, and the Senate failed to advance the bill in a 47-47 evening vote. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was visibly angry on the floor and attempted to set a redo vote at 9:45 a.m. Monday to see how it would affect the markets when they open, but moved it to sometime after noon.
Republicans are expected to hold that planned procedural vote Monday just after it gavels into session at noon if no agreement is reached by that point.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Sunday that she would introduce a Democratic version of the bill in the House in order to pressure Republicans and give her members a chance to make a statement about what they want in the third stimulus measure.
Further complicating matters and adding to the need to pass legislation immediately is a number of House members and senators are self-quarantined because they either tested positive or they have had contact with someone who has tested positive.
A number of House members won’t be able to make it to Capitol Hill for any votes. Two House members — Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., and Rep. Ben McAdams, D-Utah — have tested positive for the disease. Other House members have self-quarantined as a precaution.
In the Senate, it was revealed Sunday that Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has tested positive, and as a result, a handful of his colleagues have decided to self-quarantine for two weeks as well.
Neither the House nor Senate allows remote vote but pressure is building for that to change because of the current circumstances.
