COVID-19 Relief Bill Stalled in Partisan Disagreement

The Senate, at press time, was getting close to introducing a COVID-19 stimulus plan to counter a May 14 House-passed bill that Senate Republicans dismissed as “dead on arrival.”

The House bill called for an additional $3 trillion for COVID-19 relief. Unlike other relief measures which have been largely bipartisan, this bill was only approved by a vote of 208-199, with all but one Republican opposing the measure and all but 14 Democrats voting in favor.

With the four previous coronavirus relief measures, House Democrats collaborated with Senate Republicans and the Trump administration to negotiate bipartisan agreements. But it remains unclear when or even whether a bipartisan consensus can be reached on yet another package, even though the American public and U.S. economy continue to feel the devastating impact of the disease.