Senate leaders and the Trump Administration finally came to terms on a nearly $2 trillion coronavirus emergency relief package—but it’s not done yet.
The announcement, which came around 1:00 a.m. Wednesday, followed five days of tense, and sometimes heated, marathon talks between senators and the White House. While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) vowed that the Senate will pass the bill today (i.e., Wednesday—they convene at noon to do so), the details of the language were still being worked out. Even then it will still have to be passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. There, with the membership scattered across the country, and no televote option, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is said to be hoping to pass the legislation by unanimous consent, a procedural approach that would accommodate quick passage (and allow members to shelter in place along with the rest of the country—two congressmen have already tested positive for the coronavirus, as well as several staffers), but one that could be thwarted by a single member of the 435-member House.
That said, there have been rumblings on the wings of both parties that suggest its passage in the House is no sure thing. Nor is the timing of such a vote—not to mention how President Trump might view what ultimately emerges.
Stay tuned.
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