Lawmakers are racing to clinch a deal on emergency funding to combat the coronavirus as more cases, and the first deaths within the United States, took place over the weekend.
The House is expected to vote on billions in funding aimed at combating the illness this week, though negotiators have not yet finalized a deal.
“An important step that Congress must take is to ensure the government has the resources needed to combat this deadly virus and keep Americans safe. To that end, House appropriators are working to advance a strong emergency funding supplemental package that fully addresses the scale and seriousness of this public health crisis, which we hope to bring to the Floor next week,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy PelosiThis week: House eyes vote on emergency coronavirus funding Judd Gregg: Trump and Pelosi — Who's crazy now? Pelosi mourns first coronavirus death, promises congressional response MORE (D-Calif.) said in a “Dear Colleague” letter on Saturday.
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A group of appropriators, led by Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby
Richard Craig ShelbyThis week: House eyes vote on emergency coronavirus funding Republicans growing nervous about 2020 economy Congress eyes billion to billion to combat coronavirus MORE (R-Ala.) and Nita Lowey
Nita Sue LoweyThis week: House eyes vote on emergency coronavirus funding Congress eyes billion to billion to combat coronavirus Lawmakers race to pass emergency coronavirus funding MORE (D-N.Y.), have been locked in days of negotiations over a potential package to provide supplemental funding amid growing concerns about a widespread outbreak of the virus within the United States.
"We want to make sure if this stuff really spreads that we're doing our job," Shelby told reporters late last week.
The administration requested $2.5 billion in funding, half of which would have been new funding. The rest would have come from existing health programs, including $535 million from fighting Ebola.
They’re likely to get double or triple that request. A source familiar with the talks confirmed to The Hill that negotiators are looking at providing between $6 billion and $8 billion.
That’s below the $8.5 billion requested by Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer
Charles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerDon't make coronavirus political — make it stop instead Ratcliffe rebuts criticism over experience for DNI nomination Trump rallies conservatives at CPAC MORE (D-N.Y.), but significantly more than the White House’s request—which even some Republicans characterized as too low.
"I think $2 billion is a little low, I think we're probably looking at $4 billion in this process, having spoken to Democrat House members from Appropriations," House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy
Kevin Owen McCarthyThis week: House eyes vote on emergency coronavirus funding We should now consider candidates' governing qualities Congress eyes billion to billion to combat coronavirus MORE (R-Calif.) told reporters last week during a press conference.
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Pelosi added in her statement that the funding package had to be comprised of new funding, and that there must be guardrails to ensure Trump "cannot use these new funds for anything other than fighting coronavirus and infectious diseases."
Lawmakers are hoping to have the package ready to move by early this week. They face a tight timeline if they are going to get the bill passed by the House, Senate and to Trump’s desk before leaving for a week-long recess on March 13.
"I hope they can work expeditiously so the full Senate would be able to take up the legislation within the next two weeks. And I hope, as we move forward through this challenge, this body can put reflexive partisanship aside and uphold the spirit of cooperation and collaboration this will require," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellThis week: House eyes vote on emergency coronavirus funding We should now consider candidates' governing qualities Surveillance fight pits Trump allies against each other MORE (R-Ky.) said last week.
The discussions on Capitol Hill come as new cases of the coronavirus were disclosed, including two deaths within the United States.
The two deaths were in Washington, where Gov. Jay Inslee
Jay Robert InsleeThis week: House eyes vote on emergency coronavirus funding Coronavirus may have spread undetected in US for weeks: report Illinois officials say patient has tested positive for coronavirus MORE (D) declared a state of emergency in the state on Saturday.
Meanwhile, New York confirmed its first coronavirus case on Sunday. The New York Times, citing a gene sequencing analysis, reported that the virus may have been spreading in the United States for weeks undetected.
In addition to potential funding legislation, several committees will be holding hearings on the U.S. response to the coronavirus.
The House Homeland Security Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday, while the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Commerce, Science and Transportation Committees will each hold related hearings this week.
Four officials including Anthony Fauci, the director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Stephen Hahn, the Food and Drug Administration commissioner, are scheduled to testify before the Senate HELP Committee on Tuesday.
On Thursday, Kenneth Cuccinelli, the acting deputy DHS secretary, and Robert Kadlec, the assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the Department of Health and Human Services, will testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Super Tuesday
A number of highly contested primaries are expected to be determined on Tuesday evening, with multiple high-profile incumbents facing tough races to retain their seats.
In Texas, Rep. Kay Granger
Norvell (Kay) Kay GrangerThis week: House eyes vote on emergency coronavirus funding Texas kicks off critical battle for House control House rejects GOP resolution condemning Pelosi for ripping up Trump's speech MORE (R-Texas), the top Republican on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, will take on Chris Putnam, a former Colleyville city council member who has garnered the support of conservative outside groups including Club for Growth. Senior Democratic Rep. Henry Cueller
Henry Roberto CuellarThis week: House eyes vote on emergency coronavirus funding What is HHS's plan for influx of immigrant kids? MORE (Texas) will take on a challenger from the left, Jessica Cisneros, an attorney and liberal activist, who has received support from progressive members including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Alexandria Ocasio-CortezThis week: House eyes vote on emergency coronavirus funding Texas kicks off critical battle for House control Trump bemoans 'losing' to Greta Thunberg as Time magazine's 'Person of the Year' MORE (D-N.Y.) and Democratic presidential front-runner Sen. Bernie Sanders
Bernie SandersThis week: House eyes vote on emergency coronavirus funding Democratic candidates gear up for a dramatic Super Tuesday Judd Gregg: Trump and Pelosi — Who's crazy now? MORE (I-Vt.).
In California, voters will choose the candidates who will face off in the special election for former Rep. Katie Hill
Katherine (Katie) Lauren HillThis week: House eyes vote on emergency coronavirus funding The 14 other key races to watch on Super Tuesday Obama warns against 'unauthorized use' of his image to mislead voters in cease-and-desist letter MORE’s seat. And former Rep. Darrell Issa
Darrell Edward IssaThis week: House eyes vote on emergency coronavirus funding The 14 other key races to watch on Super Tuesday Desperate in Southern California: Darrell Issa's 'back to the future' primary campaign misfires MORE (R-Calif.) will take on two other candidates in the race to become the Republican nominee in what will likely be a second runoff against Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar in the race to replace former Rep. Duncan Hunter
Duncan HunterThis week: House eyes vote on emergency coronavirus funding The 14 other key races to watch on Super Tuesday Desperate in Southern California: Darrell Issa's 'back to the future' primary campaign misfires MORE (R-Calif.).
The Alabama Senate primary will see former Sen. Jeff Sessions
Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsThis week: House eyes vote on emergency coronavirus funding The 14 other key races to watch on Super Tuesday DOJ puts its integrity in doubt by interfering with immigration courts MORE (R-Ala.), Rep. Bradley Byrne
Bradley Roberts ByrneThis week: House eyes vote on emergency coronavirus funding The 14 other key races to watch on Super Tuesday Republicans root for Sanders nomination in battle for House MORE (R-Ala.) and former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville (R) battle for the chance to take on Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) in November. Sessions, who previously served as attorney general, has had a rocky relationship with President Trump
Donald John TrumpThis week: House eyes vote on emergency coronavirus funding Democratic candidates gear up for a dramatic Super Tuesday Judd Gregg: Trump and Pelosi — Who's crazy now? MORE. Sessions fell out of favor with Trump after having recused himself from oversight of the Russia probe and was ousted from the administration in November 2018. But the president has largely stayed out of the race.
If none of three candidates breaks 50 percent the primary race will go to a runoff between the top two contenders.
Surveillance
Lawmakers are still trying to figure out how, or if, they will be able to extend three soon-to-expire provisions of the USA Freedom Act.
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Congress has until March 15 to reform, extend or end the intelligence programs, which deal with lone wolf surveillance, “roving” wiretaps and a controversial records program that lets the government request phone metadata.
The legislative fight has sparked a larger debate about trying to use the reauthorization legislation to make broader changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the FISA courts.
So far neither chamber has been able to advance a bill related to the expiring provisions.
The House Judiciary Committee yanked its bill last week after Rep. Zoe Lofgren
Zoe Ellen LofgrenThis week: House eyes vote on emergency coronavirus funding The Hill's Morning Report — Presented by Facebook — Washington, Wall Street on edge about coronavirus Hillicon Valley — Presented by Facebook — Federal court rules tech giants can censor content | Trump upends surveillance fight | Senate passes bill barring federal funds for Huawei equipment MORE (D-Calif.) threatened to force votes on several FISA-related amendments.
Progressives and libertarian-minded GOP lawmakers have warned for years that they do not believe the government provides enough transparency or privacy protections for individuals targeted for surveillance.
Those concerns have taken root with a broader swath of Republicans after Justice Department inspector general Michael Horowitz found 17 “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in his report on the FISA warrant applications regarding Trump campaign associate Carter Page.
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Several Trump allies on Capitol Hill are pushing for broader FISA reforms as part of the USA Freedom Authorization.
“Ranking Member [Doug] Collins and [Jim] Jordan on down have proposed good reforms, reforms that should be bipartisan that not only make sure it doesn't happen again, but put real criminal penalties in place so that if somebody does violate the law, they're fully held accountable,” Rep. Steve Scalise
Stephen (Steve) Joseph ScaliseThis week: House eyes vote on emergency coronavirus funding Sanders, socialism emerge as top targets at CPAC The Hill's Campaign Report: Sanders top target at CPAC MORE (R-La.) told reporters.
Meanwhile, Sen. Rand Paul
Randal (Rand) Howard PaulThis week: House eyes vote on emergency coronavirus funding Surveillance fight pits Trump allies against each other Hillicon Valley — Presented by Facebook — Federal court rules tech giants can censor content | Trump upends surveillance fight | Senate passes bill barring federal funds for Huawei equipment MORE (R-Ky.) told reporters last week that Trump was supportive of his amendment that would ban FISA warrants from being used against an American citizen. It would also prohibit information gathered in the FISA court from being used against an American in domestic courts.
The push to use the reauthorization of the three USA Freedom provisions to make broader FISA changes is at odds with the plan preferred by Attorney General Bill Barr, who pitched Senate Republicans last week on a “clean” extension. Barr’s plan is backed by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), with GOP senators discussing trying to extend the programs until 2022.
But the short-time frame has some already discussing a short-term extension. With an energy bill expected to dominate the Senate floor this week, the earliest the chamber could take up an extension of the USA Freedom provisions is next week.
One option could be to attach a short-term extension to another piece of legislation, sparking chatter on Capitol Hill that leadership could try to drop it into the coronavirus package.
But Pelosi and McCarthy have both shot down that idea. And Eric Ueland, the White House director of legislative affairs, hinted that they did not want to add unrelated issues into the emergency funding.
“It’s important that we deal with the first problems first — COVID 19 — here for this fiscal year and then looking forward for what’s going coming up in FY2021, but not get distracted on unrelated and unattached issues,” Ueland said.
Energy bill
The Senate is set to take up wide-ranging energy legislation by Sens. Lisa Murkowski
Lisa Ann MurkowskiThis week: House eyes vote on emergency coronavirus funding What to know about cyberattacks targeting energy pipelines Schumer urges GOP to oppose Trump's intel pick MORE (R-Alaska) and Joe Manchin
Joseph (Joe) ManchinThis week: House eyes vote on emergency coronavirus funding What to know about cyberattacks targeting energy pipelines Overnight Energy: Murkowski, Manchin unveil major energy bill | Lawmakers grill EPA chief over push to slash agency's budget | GOP lawmaker accuses Trump officials of 'playing politics' over Yucca Mountain MORE (D-W.Va.).
The Senate will take an initial procedural vote on the more-than 550 page bill on Monday evening, where they will need 60 votes to get it over the hurdle.
The legislation incorporates more than 50 bills including promoting research in up-and-coming renewables energies. It also includes efforts to bolster the capture of carbon pollution, including from the coal and natural gas sector, as well as research to expand nuclear energy.
Parts of the bill, including provisions related to mining for minerals needed to make batteries, have earned criticism from environmental groups and some Democrats.
If it passes the Senate a final product will still need to be negotiated by the House, and passed again by both chambers.
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