Coronavirus Relief Package Passes House Vote
The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed yet another coronavirus relief package, the latest attempt by Democrats to reach an agreement with Republicans before the November election. Nicknamed the HEROES Act 2.0, the $2.2 trillion bill is a trimmed-down version of legislation that cleared the chamber back in May. However, this latest iteration contained a number of provisions deemed by GOP lawmakers to be non-starters, including a rollback of the net operating loss carryback rules enacted by the CARES Act, and resulted in a largely party-line vote. A group of 18 Democrats also opposed the bill, citing the need for additional compromise with the GOP.
Following the vote, Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to Democratic representatives outlining five key areas of “significant disagreement” between the two parties: unemployment insurance; state and local aid; low-income tax credits; restrictions on the use of testing funds; and other discretionary funding.
But with negotiations seemingly at a stalemate, news broke that President Donald Trump had received a positive coronavirus test. “This kind of changes the dynamic,” Speaker Pelosi said in a Friday interview. She insisted that talks with Treasury Secretary Mnuchin would continue, and that the two would “get the job done.” Trump left the hospital on Monday evening.
Despite the renewed interest among party leaders to come to an agreement, many on both sides of the aisle remain skeptical. The House recessed last week and is not scheduled to be in session through Nov. 3, though they would likely return if a deal is struck. The Senate also announced it will be in recess until Oct. 19, after three GOP lawmakers tested positive for COVID-19.