Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Lawmakers Race to Respond to Outbreak; Trump to Go to Hill
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 4 years ago on
March 10, 2020

Share

WASHINGTON — Speaker Nancy Pelosi told House Democrats on Tuesday that Congress should stay at work this week as “captains of the ship” despite the risk of coronavirus infection on Capitol Hill as lawmakers scramble under enormous pressure to respond to the epidemic. President Donald Trump was heading there to confer with Senate Republicans about his proposed payroll tax relief.

“We are the captains of the ship. We are the last to leave.” — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Lawmakers were given new instructions on how to protect themselves at the Capitol, with the House’s attending physician asking them to stop shaking hands or touching people during greetings — he recommended the split-fingers Star Trek greeting instead. Trump met health insurers, seeking their cooperation in ensuring affordable medical care in the public-health emergency.
With Congress planning to take its scheduled break next week, the time for action is short. Democrats are assembling an aid package for working families struggling to keep paychecks coming as the outbreak disrupts workplaces. Their plan counters one from President Donald Trump, who is proposing a payroll tax break, small-business loans and other steps.
Crowds are the norm in the Capitol and handshakes are coin of the realm there, even between political foes. But about a half dozen lawmakers have placed themselves in quarantine after being exposed to someone who had the virus, and the norm has been upended.
Still, Pelosi implored lawmakers to keep working to strengthen the country’s defenses.
“We are the captains of the ship,” Pelosi said during the closed-door meeting, according to a person in the room unauthorized to discuss the private caucus and granted anonymity. “We are the last to leave.”

The President’s Approach Is Receiving a Cool Response From Democrats and Republicans

Trump’s top economic advisers will be on Capitol Hill later Tuesday to brief Senate Republicans on his plan to ask Congress to pass payroll tax relief and other quick measures. On Monday, the president told reporters he is seeking “very substantial relief” to the payroll tax. Trump also said he was seeking help for hourly-wage workers to ensure they’re “not going to miss a paycheck” and “don’t get penalized for something that’s not their fault.”
But so far, the president’s approach, based on tax breaks, is receiving a cool response from Democrats as well as Republicans from his own party who say it’s too soon to consider fresh spending from Capitol Hill.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell opened the chamber saying only that Republicans “look forward to discussing” the ideas “so we can all consider the best ways to move forward.” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and adviser Larry Kudlow are expected at the weekly GOP lunch.
The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, said the virus outbreak demands a “health care” solution. Democrats are proposing affordable testing, more unemployment benefits and paid leave for working families affected by the virus.
“The administration seems to believe that the answer to any problem is another tax cut,” Schumer said. “The best way to ensure economic security for the American people is to deal directly with the coronavirus itself.
It was not immediately clear how Trump was aiming to provide assistance to employees weighing whether to stay home because of illness — a crucial aim of public health officials seeking to curtail the spread of the virus.

Photo of Vice President Mike Pence
Vice President Mike Pence speaks in the briefing room of the White House in Washington, Monday, March 9, 2020, about the coronavirus outbreak as U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus response coordinator, and Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Seema Verma listen. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Several Trump Confidants Have Disclosed They Are Isolating Themselves

One mechanism, backed by the Trump-allied National Association of Manufacturers, involves a proposed tax credit for employers who pay employees who are quarantined.
Trump stepped forward with the contours of an initiative Monday after markets dropped sharply and as the outbreak spread. markets recovered from some of the losses Tuesday, reacting positively to the prospects for an economic boost from Washington.
Several Trump confidants have disclosed they are isolating themselves after potential exposure to the virus; one lawmaker traveled with the president from Florida on Air Force One on Monday; another was his just-tapped new chief of staff.
The Securities and Exchange Commission, which monitors financial markets, encouraged employees at its Washington headquarters to work from home after an employee there had respiratory symptoms and was referred for coronavirus testing.
And Defense Secretary Mark Esper postponed a trip to India, Pakistan and Uzbekistan that was to begin Monday, citing the coronavirus crisis, Pentagon press secretary Alyssa Farah said Tuesday. She said he would remain in the U.S to help manage the Pentagon response.
At the Capitol, Democratic lawmakers were told by the House chief administrative officer behind closed doors that the office could support up to 10,000 staff members teleworking if need be. Laptop orders were being expedited and cyber-security measures reviewed.

The White House Has Been Convening Meetings With an Array of Travel and Healthcare Industry Representatives

Trump returned to Washington on Monday accompanied by Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who later went into a voluntary quarantine. He was one of several GOP lawmakers who were exposed to a person at last month’s Conservative Political Action Conference who tested positive for the virus. His office said he was “mid-flight” on Air Force One when CPAC informed his staff that he had been in contact with the attendee who had the virus.

The White House has been convening meetings with an array of travel and healthcare industry representatives, and was set to host Wall Street executives at the White House on Wednesday to discuss the economic fallout of the epidemic.
Once the plane landed, Gaetz was immediately tested.
Vice President Mike Pence, who also spoke at CPAC, said he has not been tested for the virus. White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said Trump has not been tested because he has not had “prolonged close contacts” with any patients and “does not have any symptoms.”
The White House has been convening meetings with an array of travel and healthcare industry representatives, and was set to host Wall Street executives at the White House on Wednesday to discuss the economic fallout of the epidemic.
Vast numbers of visitors come to the Hill, especially at this time of year when advocacy groups arrange “fly-in” trips to lobby and speak to lawmakers, and school groups descend for tours.
In one manifestation of lawmaking in the age of the coronavirus, Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., approached a Republican colleague on the House floor Monday for a routine congratulatory handshake after the chamber approved a bill expanding a visa program. “Shake or bump?” Neal asked Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D.
The two men bumped elbows.

DON'T MISS

Ex-Correctional Officer at Women’s Prison in California Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Inmates

DON'T MISS

Caitlin Clark and Iowa Draw Nearly 5 Million Viewers for Second-Round NCAA Win

DON'T MISS

Canadian School Boards Sue Snapchat, TikTok and Meta for Disrupting Students’ Education

DON'T MISS

California Law Enforcement Agencies Obstruct Transparency Efforts in Use-of-Force Cases

DON'T MISS

No Police Charges for Taylor Swift’s Dad Over Paparazzi Incident in Sydney

DON'T MISS

Biden Administration to Lend $1.5B to Restart Michigan Nuclear Power Plant, a First in the US

DON'T MISS

Tonight’s Biden Fundraiser With Obama and Clinton Already Nets a Record $25 Million

DON'T MISS

Ukrainian Navy Says a Third of Russian Warships in the Black Sea Have Been Destroyed or Disabled

DON'T MISS

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP Pick in 2000, Dead at 82

DON'T MISS

Trump Criticizes Judge and His Daughter After Gag Order in Hush-Money Case

No data was found

Facebook News Tab Will Soon Be Unavailable as Meta Scales Back News and Political Content

8 hours ago

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Rises to More Records to Close Out Its Latest Winning Month

9 hours ago

A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

9 hours ago

UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza

9 hours ago

How Involved Is Southern California Consulting Firm in FUSD Executive Dealings?

9 hours ago

Biden’s Fundraiser with Obama and Clinton Nets a Record $25 Million, His Campaign Says

10 hours ago

Fresno Unified’s Self-Protection Racket Is Hurting Our Kids

10 hours ago

Rockin’ Out or Laughing, the Valley Has Its Pick of Weekend Events

11 hours ago

Ex-Correctional Officer at Women’s Prison in California Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Inmates

13 hours ago

Caitlin Clark and Iowa Draw Nearly 5 Million Viewers for Second-Round NCAA Win

13 hours ago

PGA HOPE at Riverside Golf Course Introduces Military Veterans to the Game

PGA HOPE, now underway at Fresno’s Riverside Golf Course, is designed to introduce golf to veterans and active duty military members t...

7 hours ago

PGA HOPE at Fresno's Riverside Golf Course
7 hours ago

PGA HOPE at Riverside Golf Course Introduces Military Veterans to the Game

8 hours ago

Cronenworth’s Big Hit Helps Lift the Padres to a 6-4 Win Over Melvin’s Giants

8 hours ago

Shohei Ohtani Reaches 3 Times in Home Debut as the Dodgers Rout the Cardinals 7-1

8 hours ago

Facebook News Tab Will Soon Be Unavailable as Meta Scales Back News and Political Content

9 hours ago

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Rises to More Records to Close Out Its Latest Winning Month

9 hours ago

A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

9 hours ago

UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza

9 hours ago

How Involved Is Southern California Consulting Firm in FUSD Executive Dealings?

MENU

CONNECT WITH US

Search

Send this to a friend