Senate Republicans Sit Out the Coronavirus Crisis

Remember the U.S. Senate? It used to be sort of important. Lately? Mitch McConnell was ready to take a week-plus recess without completing action on a coronavirus and economic stimulus bill until some Republican senators realized how bad that would look. So instead, on Thursday afternoon they just left until Monday. Afternoon.

Hey, what’s the hurry, right? The nation is doing just fine. Nothing much going on.

Donald Trump, to his credit, wants a bill. Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats want a bill containing a number of items. Trump wants a payroll tax cut. McConnell wants … well, apparently he wants to go home for the weekend. He doesn’t like the House proposal. He doesn’t like Trump’s idea. He doesn’t have his own proposal. He hasn’t asked Senate Republicans to develop a proposal. He just wants Pelosi and the White House to come to an agreement, which they were reportedly close to doing Thursday night. But he wasn’t willing to keep the Senate around to approve it as quickly as possible if there is a deal.

Now, it’s easy to understand why McConnell doesn’t want to negotiate directly with Pelosi. Even though a compromise bill supported by both of them would easily pass both chambers by veto-proof margins, it’s the kind of action that would put him in line for criticism from Trump — perhaps right away for supposedly failing to make a good deal, or perhaps later on if things go badly. Indeed, Pelosi in negotiating with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is surely aware that Trump could at any minute decide to undercut whatever Mnuchin is saying.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/senate-republicans-sit-coronavirus-crisis-113007349.html