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Pelosi reaches deal with White House for free coronavirus testing, paid sick leave, and more
House Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are reportedly on the verge of an agreement on a coronavirus response package that would protect working families from the worst of the pandemic’s economic impact. The deal, as reported, includes versions of many of the provisions of the House Democrats' bill unveiled earlier.
“We’ve resolved most of our differences, and those we haven’t we’ll continue to have a conversation—because there will obviously be other bills,” Pelosi told reporters.
The deal, as reported, includes 14 days of paid sick leave for workers who are sick or quarantined, with tax credits to smaller businesses to cover those costs. It expands unemployment benefits, lifts work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, adds funding for food aid programs, and adds funding for Medicaid. The key piece still unresolved Thursday night was family and medical leave. The Democrats’ plan had included up to three months of such leave not just for when workers themselves are sick but also for caring for family members, including kids who are home due to school closures. Coronavirus testing would be free for everyone, including uninsured people.
Presumably the devil is in the details, but it sure sounds like Democrats got a lot of what they wanted to do to help people struggling to get by.
While the House will vote Friday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has adjourned the Senate for the weekend and gone home to Kentucky, so the Senate won’t take up the bill until at least Monday. And, speaking of McConnell, here’s an important reminder:
House Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are reportedly on the verge of an agreement on a coronavirus response package that would protect working families from the worst of the pandemic’s economic impact. The deal, as reported, includes versions of many of the provisions of the House Democrats' bill unveiled earlier.
“We’ve resolved most of our differences, and those we haven’t we’ll continue to have a conversation—because there will obviously be other bills,” Pelosi told reporters.
The deal, as reported, includes 14 days of paid sick leave for workers who are sick or quarantined, with tax credits to smaller businesses to cover those costs. It expands unemployment benefits, lifts work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, adds funding for food aid programs, and adds funding for Medicaid. The key piece still unresolved Thursday night was family and medical leave. The Democrats’ plan had included up to three months of such leave not just for when workers themselves are sick but also for caring for family members, including kids who are home due to school closures. Coronavirus testing would be free for everyone, including uninsured people.
Presumably the devil is in the details, but it sure sounds like Democrats got a lot of what they wanted to do to help people struggling to get by.
While the House will vote Friday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has adjourned the Senate for the weekend and gone home to Kentucky, so the Senate won’t take up the bill until at least Monday. And, speaking of McConnell, here’s an important reminder:
