Schumer expects Senate to pass coronavirus funding this week

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) says he expects the Senate to pass billions in new funding to combat the coronavirus by the end of the week.

“I’m pleased that both parties in Congress, in both houses of Congress, are coming together to do the responsible thing. I hope and expect we can pass the emergency appropriation through the Senate before the end of the week,” he said. 

Top appropriators and their staff have been locked in days of negotiations over an emergency funding bill amid growing concerns about a widespread outbreak of the virus within the United States. 

Two sources told The Hill on Monday night that negotiators were looking at providing approximately $7.5 billion in funding to combat the coronavirus. A deal is expected to be unveiled on Tuesday afternoon. 

If a deal is finalized on Tuesday, senators are hoping the House would be able to pass the bill on Wednesday. 

That would tee up the Senate to try to pass it on Thursday. Senate leadership would need cooperation from every senator to speed up consideration of the coronavirus funding bill; otherwise, a vote in the Senate would be delayed until next week. 

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) discussed the potential floor schedule on Monday night with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). 

“I just talked to the leader,” he said. “Asked him was it possible to bring up our bill dealing with the coronavirus this week. And the indication was that if the House does theirs Wednesday and if we have cooperation … we could possibly bring it up Thursday.”

Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the No. 2 Senate Republican, said on Tuesday that the Senate would likely set aside other legislation so they could bring up the coronavirus bill. 

“I would think it could move pretty quickly over here,” he said.