Biden eyes Gene Sperling to serve as Covid rescue plan czar

Biden eyes Gene Sperling to serve as Covid rescue plan czar-politico:  President Joe Biden is eyeing Gene Sperling for a role to oversee the implementation of the administration’s coronavirus relief plan, according to two sources with knowledge of the plans.

House sends massive coronavirus relief bill to Biden

House sends massive coronavirus relief bill to Biden-rollcall:  The House cleared a $1.86 trillion COVID-19 relief package Wednesday that would provide an expanded safety net to millions of Americans enduring medical and financial fallout from the year-old pandemic.

Senate passes massive COVID-19 relief bill, sending changes back to House

Senate passes massive COVID-19 relief bill, sending changes back to House-rollcall: The Senate approved a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package Saturday, sending it back to the House where Democratic leaders will need to convince their members to back changes to unemployment insurance and tax rebate checks.

Democrats clear path for filibuster-proof coronavirus relief bill

Democrats clear path for filibuster-proof coronavirus relief bill-rollcall:  The House gave final approval to a budget blueprint that will allow a dozen committees to start writing a massive coronavirus relief package next week. The tally was 219-209, following early morning Senate adoption on a 51-50 vote after Vice President Kamala Harris broke a tie.

Senate approves budget to sideline GOP on Biden’s $1.9T stimulus

Senate approves budget to sideline GOP on Biden’s $1.9T stimulus-politico:  The Senate approved a budget resolution early Friday morning to speed passage of President Joe Biden’s pandemic aid plan without the need for Republican buy-in.

Relief bill starts to take shape as budget votes approach

Relief bill starts to take shape as budget votes approach-rollcall:  The Senate voted to move forward with debate Tuesday on a budget blueprint that will set the stage for filibuster-proof passage of a massive coronavirus relief package.  The 50-49 vote opens debate on the Democrats’ budget resolution, which would carve out room for up to $1.9 trillion in additional deficit spending, as proposed by President Joe Biden, on top of $3.5 trillion enacted last year.

Biden pushes for $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package

Biden pushes for $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package-rollcall: President-elect Joe Biden began lobbying Congress to quickly approve a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 aid plan to improve vaccine distribution, provide direct payments to Americans and bolster state and local government coffers.

Congress passes massive stimulus package as virus rages

Congress passes massive stimulus package as virus rages-politico:  Congress approved a $900 billion coronavirus relief package late Monday night after months of inaction and partisan bickering, sending desperately needed aid to Americans reeling from a global pandemic.

This is the last blog post for 2020.  Your blogger is taking a much anticipated break.  I will be back January 4, 2021! 

I hope you have a wonderful holiday and break!

Congress strikes stimulus deal after days of frantic talks

Congress strikes stimulus deal after days of frantic talks-politico:  Congressional leaders on Sunday clinched a Covid stimulus deal after days of hard-fought negotiations — but Americans will have to wait at least a little longer to get much needed relief.

Fine print issues snag tentative pact on coronavirus relief bill

Fine print issues snag tentative pact on coronavirus relief bill-rollcall:  Congressional leaders started Wednesday hoping to finalize a deal on a $900 billion COVID-19 aid package, but last-minute obstacles and fine-tuning indicated negotiations would bleed into Thursday.

Hill leaders nearing long-sought stimulus deal

Hill leaders nearing long-sought stimulus deal-politico:  Congressional leaders closed in on an agreement to provide a new tranche of coronavirus relief on Tuesday, haggling deep into the night over how to spend hundreds of billions of dollars before adjourning for the year.

Bipartisan group strikes deal on coronavirus relief package

Bipartisan group strikes deal on coronavirus relief package-rollcall:  The group of Senate and House lawmakers negotiating a $908 billion COVID-19 relief package has reached agreement on business liability waivers and state and local government aid provisions, but those will be broken into a separate bill, according to a source familiar with the plan.

Emboldened moderates force progress in stalled Covid talks

Emboldened moderates force progress in stalled Covid talks-politico:  The Problem Solvers may have actually solved something. For once.  Fed up by months of inaction over coronavirus relief, House and Senate centrists are showing newfound force and influence, bucking their leadership this week in the hopes of finally clinching a stimulus deal.

Short-term punt seen likely for spending bills, coronavirus aid

Short-term punt seen likely for spending bills, coronavirus aid-rollcall: Despite hopeful talk on both sides of the aisle, the odds are against congressional leaders reaching agreement on a COVID-19 relief package and omnibus appropriations bill to wrap up this year’s unfinished business in the lame-duck session.

Senate Republicans cringe at Trump's stimulus negotiations

Senate Republicans cringe at Trump's stimulus negotiations-politico:  The coronavirus stimulus talks between Nancy Pelosi and Steven Mnuchin have been excruciating. But they’ll fuel an even more painful firefight within the GOP if the speaker and Treasury secretary can somehow get a deal.

Pelosi: Covid-19 relief bill hinges on next 48 hours

Pelosi: Covid-19 relief bill hinges on next 48 hours-politico:  The months of back-and-forth talks between Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to deliver a coronavirus relief bill before the Nov. 3 election may have come down to the final 48 hours.

Coronavirus relief bill talks snagged over testing, liability, other issues

Coronavirus relief bill talks snagged over testing, liability, other issues-rollcall:  Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin expressed doubts Wednesday about a COVID-19 aid package becoming law before the Nov. 3 elections.  After a morning phone call with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Mnuchin said the myriad disputes over funding and policy questions that have yet to be resolved make an imminent agreement on a long-stalled relief package unlikely.

Trump calls off coronavirus relief package talks until after elections

Trump calls off coronavirus relief package talks until after elections-rollcall:  Republicans will stop negotiating a new COVID-19 aid bill with Speaker Nancy Pelosi amid a long-standing disagreement over funding for state and local governments, Trump announced on Twitter on Tuesday.

Survey: Hill aides don’t expect Congress to pass another virus relief bill before election

Survey: Hill aides don’t expect Congress to pass another virus relief bill before election-rollcall:  Congress, theoretically, has until lawmakers return to their districts and states in the coming days for the campaign recess to pass another coronavirus relief bill before Election Day.  But according to CQ Roll Call’s latest Capitol Insiders Survey of congressional aides, lawmakers might as well pack it in now.

Meadows blames Pelosi for impasse on coronavirus relief

Meadows blames Pelosi for impasse on coronavirus relief-politico:  White House chief of staff Mark Meadows on Sunday blamed the impasse on a new coronavirus relief bill on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, saying the Trump administration‘s offer of $1.3 trillion deserves the Democrats’ serious attention.