A number of key provisions, like expanded unemployment insurance and eviction moratoriums from the spring’s massive CARES Act are expiring at the end of the year, heightening the urgency. Any potential coronavirus relief package could be attached to a spending bill due by Dec. 11 to ensure its passage.
Congressional leaders prefer a large spending package to avoid a shutdown instead of a stopgap continuing resolution into the new presidency of Joe Biden that begins next January.
There are several groups of discussions. Among the senators involved in them are Chris Coons (D-Del.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), the sources said. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin has also been involved in some discussion.
But whether this group can push their leadership to cut a deal as outgoing President Donald Trump sits on the sidelines is another matter. There is general agreement that Congress needs to extend unemployment funding, small business aid and beef-up health care funding, but Democrats are still generally opposed to the GOP’s plans for liability reform and Republicans are reluctant to provide tens of billions of dollars in aid to blue states.
Pelosi and Schumer have repeatedly insisted that a big, multi-trillion dollar deal with lots of money for states and localities is better than no deal, to the consternation of some centrists in the party. McConnell and most of the Senate GOP have pushed a smaller $500 billion package that Democrats have blocked repeatedly.
