Congress
Following negotiations over the weekend – which, according to House Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) were “more productive” than previous talks – Treasury Secretary Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Meadows again met with Speaker Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Schumer (D-NY) today. Following the two-hour meeting, the Democratic leaders sounded slightly more optimistic, suggesting that the two sides were making progress on certain issues and shared a desire to get something done soon. That said, an agreement does not appear imminent and Speaker Pelosi again reiterated there would be no short-term bill.
Both sides appear resolute on their positions on pandemic unemployment insurance. Speaker Pelosi on CCN this morning said Democrats would only agree to reduce the $600 per week enhanced benefit if the unemployment rate goes down.
The House is not in session this week, though leaders remain in Washington for continued negotiations. In a Dear Colleague marking the end of the scheduled July work period, House Majority Leader Hoyer called on the Senate to take up the House-passed Heroes Act and again stated that “the House will stand ready to return to session with at least twenty-four hours’ notice and take action if an agreement with the Senate is finally reached.”
In comments to the press today, President Trump raised the possibility of taking certain COVID-related executive actions, such as extending the federal moratorium on evictions, in the absence of legislation.
Recent Congressional Statements / Letters
- Senate Small Business Committee Chairman Rubio: WSJ: How Senate’s Small Business Chairman Sees PPP Evolving, August 3, 2020
- Senator Coons calls for more research on COVID-19 in children as schools face decisions on 2020-21 academic year, August 3, 2020
- Senator Bennet: Howard Schultz, Prominent Business Leaders Urge Inclusion of Bennet, Young’s RESTART Act in Next Coronavirus, August 3, 2020
- Senator Wicker Advances Public Service Initiative to Aid Coronavirus Recovery, August 3, 2020
- Senator Van Hollen: Baltimore Delegation Members Urge Congressional Leaders to Increase COVID-19 Relief for Public Transit, July 31, 2020
- Representatives Kennedy, Jayapal Push Pandemic Medicare Expansion Plan, August 3, 2020
- Senate EPW Committee Ranking Member Carper: Congressional Leaders on Environmental Justice Issues Respond to Republican COVID-19 Proposal that Ignores the Needs of Communities of Color during this Crisis, August 3, 2020
- Representative Kim Calls for Nationwide Standard to Return COVID-19 Test Results Within 72 Hours, August 3, 2020
- Dr. Bucshon Supports Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics by the Nation Institute of Health, July 31, 2020
- House Ways and Means Ranking Member Brady in National Review: Next Package Should Prioritize Growth & Medical Independence from China, August 3, 2020
- Representatives Guthrie, Finkenauer Introduce Bipartisan Child Care Bill, August 3, 2020
- Representatives DeLauro, Fudge, and Bustos Urge USDA Secretary to Stop Proposed Changes to Farmers to Families Food Box Program, July 31, 2020
- Representative Lesko Advocates for Nuclear Regulatory Commission Fee Waiver in Phase IV Relief Package, August 3, 2020
Other Stakeholder Statements / Letters
- CEOs to Congress: Save America's Small Businesses, August 3, 2020
- Childcare and Health and Safety are Top Two Reopening Issues, According to Employers, August 3, 2020
- With Resurgence In COVID Cases, NRF Chief Economist Says Economic Recovery Is 'Being Tested Daily', August 3, 2020
- America’s Recovery Fund Coalition Calls For Passage Of “Small Business Comeback Act”, August 3, 2020
White House / Agency Activity
White House
Department of Treasury
Department of Labor
Food and Drug Administration
Department of Defense
Department of Housing and Urban Development
National Credit Union Administration
Federal Trade Commission
Federal Reserve
State / Local Activity
Given the plethora of state and local actions, we recommend MultiState’s COVID-19 Policy Tracker as a comprehensive tool to monitor the response.
