House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he does not expect Congress to pass a new coronavirus relief bill by the end of July — meaning a key financial lifeline will likely expire.
“I envision that this bill doesn’t get done by the end of July,” the California Republican told CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” saying he expects Congress to approve legislation “probably in the first week of August.”
If lawmakers cannot pass a plan by the end of the month, a $600 per week federal unemployment insurance benefit buoying millions of Americans will at least temporarily expire. The GOP wants to change the policy or reduce the sum, while Democrats hope to extend the assistance as the unemployment rate stands above 11%.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., conducts a news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center where he took questions from reporters working offsite because of the COVID-19 pandemic on Thursday, May 7, 2020.
Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call | Getty Images
Lawmakers are working to iron out a range of differences on how best to structure the bill as the pandemic spreads unabated in the United States. Congress returned to Washington for discussions on the legislation this week as Covid-19 cases and deaths climb across the country, leading states including McCarthy’s own to either pause or roll back their economic reopening plans.
Democrats have called for a sprawling package to offer additional aid to jobless workers, send another direct payment to individuals, offer hazard pay to essential workers, give aid to state and local governments facing budget crunches and offer assistance to renters and homeowners as moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures start to expire. Republicans, meanwhile, have previewed a proposal heavy on tax incentives or bonuses that aim to encourage people to return to work and school, along with broad liability protections for businesses and doctors during the pandemic.
After McCarthy and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., met with President Donald Trump, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows on Monday, talks will continue on Tuesday. Mnuchin and Meadows plan to attend the Senate GOP policy lunch, then meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer later in the afternoon.
Previewing a process that could become especially bitter during an election year, McCarthy argued the bill would not pass before August because he expects Pelosi to delay it as she seeks to include her priorities in it. A spokesman for the California Democrat did not immediately respond to a request to comment on McCarthy’s remarks.
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.