Hoyer: House should vote on COVID aid -- with or without a bipartisan deal

[babylonsister]

Hoyer: House should vote on COVID aid — with or without a bipartisan deal
By Mike Lillis - 09/23/20 01:31 PM EDT


The second-ranking House Democrat is amplifying calls for the lower chamber to vote on a multi-trillion-dollar coronavirus relief bill in the coming days — even absent a deal with the White House.

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the House majority leader, said he's hoping for an 11th-hour bipartisan deal on another round of emergency stimulus — something that can pass through the Republican-controlled Senate and win President Trump's signature.

But the sides remain far apart on the size and scope of the next package. And if no agreement emerges, Hoyer wants Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to stage a vote on a Democratic proposal — something in the range of $2.2 trillion — before the House leaves Washington for the last stretch of the campaign.

That strategy would not only increase the pressure on Senate GOP leaders to address the widespread health and economic devastation caused by the deadly pandemic, Hoyer said. It would also help Democrats — particularly vulnerable moderates in tough races — boost their case that Republicans have failed to respond to the ongoing crisis at the expense of constituents.

"There may not be any agreement; there may not be an ability to put a bill together in that timeframe. But I have been urging for some weeks that we do an alternative response to the Senate," Hoyer said on a press call.

"Not because I think we ought to negotiate with ourselves," he added. "But ... the Speaker has set the amount of resources that we're prepared to deal with. And I think we ought to put that into legislation and ... give it to the Senate. The Senate will do with it what they will, but I hope they will pass it and send it to the president and he'll sign it."

Hoyer's comments arrive as a growing number of Democrats — centrist and liberals alike — are urging party leaders to seal a deal with the White House on a stimulus deal that they can carry back to voters ahead of the Nov. 3 elections. Individual lawmakers are all over the board, however, when it comes to a specific strategy.

more...

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/517819-hoyer-house-should-vote-on-covid-aid-bipartisan-deal-or-none

[Wellstone ruled]

1. So,any type of Pandemic Stimulas voted out of the Senate

is DOA. Hoyer rarely front runs any legislation,so,he sees Campaign Talking Points do to McConnell's lack of Public Concern.