Stimulus talks end week on an optimistic note

That could change if negotiations fail and leaders get involved in making a smaller deal that only extended expiring provisions. But Republican members know their GOP proposal cannot win Democrats’ support. So if you are a member who wants a result, the best strategy is to try and commit to that proposition. This is what you are seeing right now.

There is a ton of hope, but there is still no invoice.

The mecanic

People familiar with the process tell me that members work around the clock and split into teams to craft specific sections of the bill. Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois and Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas are quietly working on a compromise for the liability insurance section.

Republican Senator from Utah Mitt Romney and Democratic Senator Joe Manchin from West Virginia are working on a formula that could work for state and local governments, including possibly setting a cap on what a state could receive. The intention would be to prevent the big states from getting as much money as they could have gotten in the last round based on the old formula.

Some members rely on committee staff with expertise in the paycheck protection program provisions. Graham is working with President Donald Trump to support him. And yes, leaders are regularly briefed on the direction of these discussions.

There is a lot going on. The question is whether this can happen fast enough.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has made it clear, according to several aides involved, that he would like to see a proposal on Monday. This is also what Manchin has said publicly.

It will calm down a bit. This is how you know people actually work.

What do we know so far?

The proposal includes:

What might not be included?

Stimulus controls. The reason? You’ve seen so many Republicans wanting to get to the ‘yes’ on this legislation because the price is less than $ 1 trillion and a lot of that money is made up for by reusing money that wasn’t used in. the latest stimulus bill. Many details need to be worked out for Republicans to finally vote for the proposal, but keeping the price below $ 1 trillion has been essential.

At this time, it doesn’t seem possible to include $ 1,200 stimulus checks for most Americans once members factor in the costs of proposals like the Paycheck Protection Program. , state and local funding and unemployment benefits.

The timing: MPs want to finish it all from the spending bill to the stimulus, vote and leave town by the end of next week. That’s not to say it won’t slip, but there’s a pandemic all around them, and what’s building momentum right now is a deadline. If it slips, there are concerns that it could continue to slip, and the longer it takes to make a deal, the more opportunities there are for it to languish and be separated by the dozens of interests in the center. -City that want their provisions to be attached to a. of the latest bills from this Congress.

Republicans who signaled an opening to the bipartisan framework

It is not the same as saying that they will vote “yes”. No one has the text of the bill, but these members expressed optimism that the framework could pave the way. The names in bold are part of the bipartisan working group:

Is this the new power team?

A lot can happen at the end of the year. After the election, members feel encouraged to step out of leadership to solve problems. Change of dynamics. Add to all that a deadly pandemic that has wreaked havoc on the U.S. economy, and people are motivated.

But what you are seeing right now is a formula that – if it works – could be repeated. House Democrats will have a smaller majority next year. No matter what happens in Georgia, it will also be true in the Senate. When leaders have fewer votes to spare, members of the middle can become powerful forces.

Next year, it will only take a handful of GOP senators to join President-elect Joe Biden in pushing through his Cabinet, for example.

I don’t mean to exaggerate: partisanship will always have a hold on Capitol Hill and a Senate majority leader and speaker will always have the power over what comes up, but the bipartisan group here is making clear that moderates can play. a role in the next Congress if they wish.

Two more quick notes

Omnibus talks continue, with leaders attempting to close remaining sticking points. Senate Appropriations Chairman Dick Shelby of Alabama and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland spoke Thursday about the way forward, and aides say things are moving forward. People are in the process of making deals right now. And the Appropriators don’t want to fail here and have to make an ongoing resolution.

Trump still says he will veto the National Defense Authorization Act, a critical defense spending bill, because it does not include the elimination of a provision that gives broad protections to Internet companies for the content they publish or that third parties publish on their sites.

In a tweet Thursday night, Trump wrote: “It looks like Senator Jim Inhofe will not put the Section 230 termination clause in the defense bill. So bad for our national security and our electoral integrity. Last chance to do it. I will. VETO. “

As a reminder, the NDAA enjoys overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress.