House Democrats expected to unveil coronavirus package Wednesday

House Democrats are expected to unveil a package Wednesday afternoon ahead of a planned vote this week to help boost the economy hit by the coronavirus outbreak.

Bipartisan discussions are still ongoing between Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who spoke Wednesday morning after meeting in the Capitol less than 24 hours earlier. But Democrats are still planning to move their own proposals to help mitigate the economic effects of the coronavirus, which has now topped 1,000 cases in the U.S.

A vote is expected Thursday, according to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.).

The text is still being finalized, but Democrats are pushing for a national paid sick leave policy, bolstering unemployment insurance, guaranteeing free access to coronavirus testing and ensuring food assistance for students who rely on free or reduced lunch at public schools.

House Democrats are expected to meet at 4 p.m. Wednesday to discuss the package.

“We’re going to move forward this week by making sure that we help out families, and the middle-class folks and senior citizens and the most vulnerable amongst us,” said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).

Jeffries said that the meeting at 4 p.m. would be an opportunity to “get input from the members of the Democratic Caucus.”

The House is scheduled to depart Thursday and go on recess next week. Lawmakers are eager to get out of Washington and return to their districts as they work to protect themselves and their constituents from the coronavirus.

President Trump is pushing for a payroll tax cut as well as some form of paid sick leave for hourly wage workers.

About a quarter of American workers lack access to paid sick leave, which has raised concerns that they could contribute to spreading the coronavirus if they are unable to follow public health officials’ guidelines to stay home if they feel ill.

But Democrats, as well as some Republicans, have been reluctant to back the payroll tax-cut proposal.

The House is scheduled to depart Thursday and go on recess next week. Lawmakers are eager to get out of Washington and return to their districts as they work to protect themselves and their constituents from the coronavirus.

Seven members of Congress are currently self-quarantining after being exposed to people with the coronavirus, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Reps. Don Beyer (D-Va.), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.), Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Doug Collins (R-Ga.) and Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.). All of the Republicans are doing so after attending the Conservative Political Action Conference, which had an attendee who later tested positive for the coronavirus.

Congressional leaders have dismissed the idea of closing the Capitol amid school and workplace closures across the country to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The Senate is also slated to adjourn on Thursday, meaning that Congress is unlikely to send an economic stimulus package to Trump’s desk before departing for recess. Trump previously signed a $8.3 billion emergency funding package last week to boost federal, state and local agencies’ efforts to combat the coronavirus.

—Updated at 12:08 p.m.