WASHINGTON — House Democrats on Tuesday released a $3 trillion proposal that would provide payments to state and local governments, and another round of $1,200 checks to individuals to help them weather the impact of the coronavirus, a plan that Republicans have already brushed off as too expansive and costly.
Members of the House are expected to come back to Washington on Friday to vote on the bill.
Democrats wrote the bill without negotiations with the White House or Republicans, meaning the legislation is more of a Democratic wish list and will need to be changed to pass the GOP-led Senate and signed by President Donald Trump.
Republicans have signaled they have no interest in enacting a new coronavirus response bill anytime soon, meaning passage of a law could be weeks away, despite mounting unemployment and mortality figures.
“This is nothing more than a messaging exercise by House Democrats,” said Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the second-ranking Republican in the Senate.
Democrats’ strategy has been focused on the idea that the public is eager for more government support and programs — not less — and that Americans will favor their expansive, 1,815-page proposal.
Called the Heroes Act, the centerpiece of the plan is more than $900 billion for state and local governments. Democrats have focused on ensuring local governments have funding to pay public workers, including transit employees, police officers, firefighters and teachers. Republicans are skeptical of such spending, saying they don’t want to “bail out” state governments that were in a dire financial picture before the COVID-19 pandemic.
It provides a second round of $1,200 economic stimulus payments — expanding the list of people eligible — and extends enhanced unemployment benefits through January.
The bill also provides $200 billion in hazard pay for health care workers; $75 billion to expand testing and contact tracing; student loan relief; $175 billion in mortgage and rent help; $14 billion for food assistance; and more than $3 billion for the November elections to be conducted by mail. It also provides $25 billion for the U.S. Postal Service, which is in financial trouble.
Republicans quickly derided the proposal as a list of Democrats’ dream proposals. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Democrats are “cobbling together a big laundry list of pet priorities.”
He said Monday that he doesn’t feel as though there is a need for an immediate bill.
“I don’t think we have yet felt the urgency of acting immediately,” he said. “That time could develop, but I don’t think it has yet.”
McConnell said Tuesday that he’s discussing next steps with the Trump administration. When they make a decision to proceed, “that will be the time to interact with the Democrats.”
Republicans’ top priority is protecting health care companies and employers from lawsuits from patients, workers and customers who are exposed to COVID-19. They have not yet released a plan, but McConnell said Tuesday that it will include enhanced medical malpractice protections for health care providers on COVID-19 cases.
Hoyer identified funding for state and local governments, and payments to individuals as the top priorities for House Democrats when bipartisan negotiations get underway.
