Lawmakers are finalizing a $7.5 billion emergency bill to fund the government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak in a burst of bipartisan cooperation
WASHINGTON — Lawmakers are finalizing a $7.5 billion emergency bill to fund the government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, in a burst of bipartisan cooperation that’s atypical of today’s Washington.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, a caustic critic of President Donald Trump’s handling of the spreading crisis, said he’s expecting a bipartisan deal among lawmakers on the House and Senate Appropriations committees later Tuesday in hopes of clearing the measure through Congress by week’s end.
The $7.5 billion package would triple Trump’s request but is expected to enjoy support from both the White House and Trump’s GOP allies on Capitol Hill.
“When it comes to Americans’ health and safety, there is no reason to be penny-wise and pound-foolish,” Schumer said Tuesday.
Deliberations on the bill are a bipartisan bright spot as Congress seeks to rebound from the bitterness of Trump’s impeachment and involves the pragmatic lawmakers on the House and Senate Appropriations panels, which have a track record of bipartisan success despite the partisanship engulfing Washington.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairmen Richard Shelby said swift passage of the bill “sends a message to the American people that we care and we are going to do everything we can.”
Schumer boasted that the final figure is far closer to a benchmark he set last week when outlining an $8.5 billion plan. It also contains a provision to restore funds to Department of Health and Human Services programs like energy assistance to low-income households that were cut to pay for the initial federal response.
Vice President Mike Pence, who is coordinating the administration’s response, is visiting Capitol Hill to brief both parties on the situation, which health experts warn is going to worsen in coming days and weeks.
The draft legislation would speed development and production of a coronavirus vaccine, finance preparedness and response efforts by state and local governments, help foreign countries battle the outbreak overseas, and seek to ensure that the vaccine is affordable when ready it’s ready, which could take a year.
“We need to support the federal, state, and local public health officials and healthcare professionals who are working overtime to blunt, delay, and mitigate the spread of the virus,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said on Monday.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, chairman of the Democratic caucus, said Congress is rushing to pass the supplemental measure because coronavirus is a national emergency that “requires an all hands on deck” approach. Several House Democrats declined to criticize Trump administration’s handling of the situation.
“Our goal is to make sure we do not leave Washington this week without an allocation of resources to deal with coronavirus,” he said. “Everyone needs to rise to the occasion, including the administration.”
Lawmakers were briefed by the attending physician of the Capitol, Rear Adm. Brian Monahan, about best practices to avoid the virus. Congressional leaders were discussing how best to keep the Capitol, which is filling with spring visitors and tourists, safe. For now, there are no plans for closures. “We look forward to them continuing to be able to come to the Capitol,” Jeffries said.
Democrats relied on health care professionals from their ranks, including Rep. Kim Schrier, a pediatrician whose Washington state has suffered fatalities from the virus. She told people to prepare for school closures and the cancellation of big events and to stock as much as a month’s worth of food and medicine.
“We know for sure this disease will spread especially in the beginning urban and suburban areas, and it will get worse before it gets better,” Schrier said. “Just start planning now.”
