Among the key provisions of the Senate GOP plan is direct cash payments to individuals of up to $1,200 and families of up to $2,400, based on income. In addition to direct cash payments, the GOP stimulus plan gives small businesses $300 billion in federally guaranteed loans and $200 billion for loans for industries, including airlines.
The structure of the direct payments has emerged as a concern for some Republican members, in addition to Democrats. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has panned the idea of direct cash payments broadly, while Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) are calling for the package to be fixed, after expressing concern that its structure doesn’t sufficiently benefit lower income Americans. Hawley introduced an amendment Friday to help resolve the issue.
“Our goal is to create an income stream not just a one-time payment,” Graham said Friday. “The problem with direct cash is you’re giving it to the people who have got their salary, they don’t need extra money. There are people without money that need money.”
Senate Republican aides and White House officials are signaling they’re open to making changes during negotiations.
But Republican leaders also brought in Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia to counter the Democratic call for using the existing state-based unemployment insurance system to dole out money to those in need. Scalia argued in the closed-door sessions that some states’ unemployment systems aren’t capable of handling both an expected tidal wave of new unemployment filings by Americans who just lost their jobs while at the same time gearing up to send out millions of checks.
“The administration has expressed, based on some feedback they’re getting from states, that that would take a very long time,” said Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.C.). “Again, we’re trying to do something that’s quick and gets an infusion of cash out there in a hurry, and the direct payments do that.”
There are also objections being raised to some of the industry specific bailout, as well as numerous business-related tax cuts offered by Senate Republicans. Democrats claim that the GOP bill is not “worker friendly,” and note that one of the provisions floated by Republicans would give a tax break to foreign subsidiaries of U.S. companies. “That is a complete non-starter on our side,” said Sen. Ron Wyden (Ore.), top Democrat on the Finance Committee.
And Trump himself said he wanted to make sure there was language in the Senate package preventing corporations from using federal aid for stock buybacks.
“We have some fundamental disagreements on some of the liquidity provisions,” said a Republican senator who spoke on the condition of anonymity. We’re trying to help not because we’re interested in helping business … as much as we’re just trying to help keep the economy moving and keep people employed.”
In addition to Mnuchin, Scalia, and Ueland, administration officials participating Friday include former Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Kevin Hassett and National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow.
“Very good attitude, the children are playing well,” Kudlow said when asked about the tenor of the discussions.
The Republican senators attending the talks are McConnell, Banking Committee Chair Mike Crapo (Idaho), Sen. Pat Toomey (Pa.), Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (Iowa), Sen. Rob Portman (Ohio), HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), Aging Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins (Maine), Small Business Committee Chairman Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (Miss.) and Thune.
Among the Senate Democrats participating are Schumer, Wyden, Commerce Committee Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (Wash.), Minority Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.), Small Business Committee Ranking Member Ben Cardin (Md.), Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Bob Menendez (N.J.), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.) , Sen. Debbie Stabenow (Mich.) and Sen. Jack Reed (R.I.). HELP Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray participated by phone.
Lawmakers are trying to move as quickly as they can and are expected to work through the weekend. McConnell has vowed the Senate will not leave Washington until a deal is reached.
“There’s been some good constructive discussions about the issues,” Thune said. “We’re trying to narrow the list of the Democrat asks and the things Republicans want. We want feedback from the bill that we put out there … We have about 12 hours to do it.”
Durbin, for his part, said Democrats “proposed a number of new issues that have not been raised by the Republican plan.” Democrats want hundreds of billions of dollars for hospital and health-care providers that the GOP proposal doesn’t presently include.
Schumer is closely consulting with Pelosi throughout the Senate negotiations. While Schumer is unlikely to agree to any major provision that Pelosi opposes, that doesn’t mean House Democrats can’t include additional initiatives when that chamber takes up the bill.
“At the speaker’s direction, House Majority committee staffs are working through Pelosi’s policy operation to weigh in through Schumer staff on key provisions House Democrats want added to the McConnell proposal,” said a senior Democratic aide.
McConnell, however, has refused to include Pelosi in the negotiations so far, despite pleas from both top Democrats to do so.
Heather Caygle and Quint Forgey contributed to this story.