Republican leaders in both chambers struggle to get a two-tiered coronavirus relief and government funding package across the finish line and end-of-year disaster after President Trump
Donald Trump McCarthy Offers UC Request To Revisit Foreign Spending In GOP Senator’s Omnibus Over Trump Pardon: ‘This Is Rotten To The Core’ Trump Pardons Manafort, Stone and Charles Kushner In Final Round MORE unexpectedly raised last-minute objections to the legislation passed by Congress earlier this week.
Washington was blinded on Tuesday night by Trump’s protracted criticism of the $ 900 billion COVID-19 emergency response measure and the $ 1.4 trillion omnibus to be signed in the coming days to avoid a government shutdown.
Now, Sen. Lindsey Graham
Lindsey Olin Graham Trump vetoes defense law, intent on possible transfer Barr leaves conflicting legacy at DOJ Trump rejects emergency law, calls on Congress to raise more stimulus money (RS.C.), one of Trump’s most loyal Senate allies, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy
Kevin Owen McCarthyMcCarthy to Offer UC Request to Revisit Foreign Spending in Omnibus. Night-time Defense: Trump Vets Defense Bill, Proposes Vote Override | Trump Objects to Government Funding, COVID-19 Aid Package | Trump offers Iran ‘friendly health advice’ as tensions build, Trump leaves Washington in limbo with MORE emergency aid (R-Calif.) Are trying to save the $ 2.3 trillion package, GOP sources said.
Graham is pushing for a vote on $ 2,000 incentive vouchers, in place of the $ 600 direct payments in the bipartite bill, and an expiry of Section 230 in the Communications Decency Act that protects social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter from lawsuits over content that posted on their sites. Trump on Wednesday vetoed the National Defense Authorization Act for, among other things, the repeal of article 230.
A Senate GOP aide said it makes sense for Graham to be involved in efforts to save the coronavirus omnibus measure, given the senator’s close relationship with Trump, which has recently soured from other Senate Republicans.
Trump has expressed frustration with the Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnell Trump vetoes defense law, setting up possible lifting of CNN’s Smerconish praises Trump over, 000 emergency checks: ‘Most effective thing he’s done’ Post-election Republicans wait to see what Trump does with the aid package (R-Ky.) And Majority Whip John Thune
John Randolph ThuneNoem Raises Thune Challenge After Trump Criticizes Senator Trump Attacking Thune: ‘He Will Be Primaried in 2022’ Night Defense: Congress Schedules Session to Overcome Trump’s Veto Miller takes an unannounced trip to Afghanistan MORE (RS.D.) because they have no longer fought to reverse the results of the presidential election. Trump even tweeted on Tuesday that Thune would face a primary challenge in 2022 if he is on the cusp of reelection.
Graham said on Wednesday that Congress should vote on language that increases the scope of stimulus controls and section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
“I support President @ realDonaldTrump’s demand to increase direct payments for long-suffering Americans to $ 2,000 per person. And I also support his call for an end to Section 230 Big Tech legal liability protections. Let’s vote, ”he tweeted.
But such a package – increasing the scope of stimulus control and exposing social media platforms to liability over content – would face bipartisan opposition as many Republicans worry about the rising deficit and many Democrats don’t want punishment. take on technology companies.
On the House side, McCarthy told GOP colleagues on a conference call Wednesday afternoon that he spoke with Trump and is in the process of refuting a request. Nancy Pelosi
Nancy PelosiMcCarthy to Offer UC Request to Revisit Foreign Spending in Omnibus. Night-time Defense: Trump Vets Defense Bill, Sets Vote to Waive | Trump Objects to Government Funding, COVID-19 Aid Package | Trump offers Iran ‘friendly health advice’ as tensions build, Trump leaves Washington in limbo with MORE emergency aid (D-Calif.) Plans to raise incentive vouchers from $ 600 to $ 2,000 Thursday morning on the House floor. McCarthy’s proposal would focus on budget cuts, two sources familiar with discussions told The Hill.
McCarthy outlined his strategy Wednesday night in a letter to Republican colleagues, accusing Democrats of “selective hearing” for taking advantage of Trump’s demand for larger stimulus controls, but ignoring his complaints about wasteful spending.
“They have conveniently ignored the president’s concerns, and shared by our constituents, that we should re-examine how our tax dollars are being spent abroad,” he wrote. “So Republicans will be unanimously filing for consent to rethink the title of the omnibus’ state and foreign operations so that we can fully address current concerns.”
A House Republican attending Wednesday’s call said GOP leaders would rather offer austerity rather than more than double the size of stimulus checks to calm Trump.
Pelosi is clearly playing politics, so this is a counter move. It basically took away the things the president was arguing about without putting in the extra money [for stimulus checks], ”Said the legislature.
Democrats have taken advantage of Trump’s bashing of the bill to put pressure on McCarthy and McConnell to back $ 2,000 stimulus checks.
America needs $ 2000 checks. Senator McConnell: Americans Need Help NOW, ”Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer
Chuck Schumer Trump and Pelosi Should Rally For $ 1,000 Emergency Aid Checks Schumer On Trump’s Call For K In Instant Payments: ‘I’m In’ Progressive Democrats Signals Support For Trump’s Higher Direct Payment Request MORE (NY) tweeted Wednesday afternoon.
Pelosi said she will seek unanimous approval during a pro forma session Thursday at 9am to submit a stand-alone bill to increase the size of the incentive vouchers to $ 2,000.
“If the president really wants to participate in payments of $ 2,000, he must ask Leader McCarthy to agree to our request for unanimous consent,” Pelosi wrote in a letter to Democratic colleagues.
McCarthy told Republican lawmakers during Wednesday afternoon’s call that Republicans would block Pelosi’s request. GOP lawmakers say they are increasingly concerned about the $ 3.1 trillion federal deficit.
McCarthy told colleagues that Trump has not yet decided whether to veto the massive COVID relief and omnibus package, which he could keep at his desk until after the new Congress on Jan. 3. Failure to act on the legislation for the 10 days allotted to him by the constitution, other than Sundays, would result in a pocket veto and Congress couldn’t vote to override it.
Instead, lawmakers in the new congress should begin negotiating a different package, something leaders want to avoid given that it took more than seven months to negotiate a deal on the bill passed earlier this week.
Trump’s opposition to the bill surprised lawmakers in both chambers, largely because of the Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin
Steven Mnuchin McCarthy Offers UC Request To Revisit Foreign Spending In Omnibus Republicans Airing Over Surprise Trump Sets COVID-19 Relief Trump Imposes New Sanctions On Belarus For Election Fraud, Human Rights Violations MORE and the White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows
Growing number of GOP lawmakers back Electoral College challenge Trump calls Bolton ‘one of the dumbest people in Washington’ after former assistant discusses martial law report Trump pushes back on reported martial law talk: ‘Fake News’ LAKE helped negotiate the package.
The $ 600 stimulus checks, which Trump now complains are too small, were first sent by Mnuchin to Democratic leaders during a Dec. 8 phone call.
Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) Told his GOP colleagues in a Wednesday interview that he felt “Trump threw us under the bus.”
The president was informed of this bill by the GOP leadership at every step. The COVID supplement is a good compromise and the president should accept it, ”Bacon said in a public statement following the call, standing before his comments.
A looming deadline for Republicans to wring their hands is Monday night, when federal funding ends if Trump doesn’t sign the coronavirus relief and omnibus spending package into law. That would result in a government shutdown.
But before then, the so-called unemployment benefit is on Saturday, when two major programs providing benefits to millions of unemployed Americans will soon expire.
Another big headache for GOP leaders is Trump’s veto over the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which Congress enacted for 59 consecutive years.
McConnell had already scheduled the Senate to return to Washington for possible votes on Dec. 29, when he can begin setting up a vote to override the defense bill’s veto. But the Senate GOP leaders say they will only act if two-thirds of the house votes to override the veto.
McConnell, criticized by Trump for not participating in his bid to reverse election results in various swing states, stayed out of the public spotlight on Wednesday, leaving his GOP colleagues little idea of what to expect.
“Everyone is exhausted by the end of the year,” said a Senate GOP aide, who predicted McConnell would try to veto the coronavirus control and omnibus spending package. “It’s a deep voice for half a dozen to a dozen Republicans, but it’s not a deep voice.”
“There are at least 19 Republicans who will override both vetoes,” said the Senate aide, ignoring the calculations.