As coronavirus rolls on, Republicans hit 'pause' on new aid

Businesses are going belly up, tens of millions have been laid off and, by some measures, U.S. seems heed for ar Great Depression. But Republicans surveying wreck aren't rey for ar round of coronavirus aid, inste urging a “pause.”

It’s a position based on a confluence of factors. Polls show GOP voters think government is alrey doing eugh. Republicans on Capitol Hill are divided over best approach. Billions approved by Congress have yet to be spent. And it’s also t clear what President Donald Trump wants to do next, if anything, to juice ecomy — his payroll tax cut idea hasn't gained any traction on Capitol Hill.

For se and or reasons, GOP leers see an unfolding crisis that does t yet cry out for furr action.

“re’s just a pragmatic piece to this, which is, if we’re going to do ar bill, let’s get into June and July so we kw how people are re-emerging,” said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., who gave up his leership post last year to take top GOP job on Financial Services Committee.

political balancing act comes as long-dormant deficit-hawk wing of GOP lumbers back to life, recoiling from House Democratic proposal to spend ar $3 trillion in taxpayer money. Yet many Republicans concede re is risk to standing pat at a time of massive unemployment, financial struggles for local governments and growing COVID-19 caselos, particularly with vember election fast approaching.

Despite ir distaste for furr negotiations with Democrats, many Republicans privately see pass of ar coronavirus measure as inevitable.

Senate Majority Leer Mitch McConnell, a proponent of “pause,” said Tuesday that Republicans are “taking a look at what we’ve alrey done. And we’ve ded about $3 trillion to national debt, and assessing effectiveness of that before deciding to go forward.”

Yet McConnell also cracked open door, cautiously, to more legislation, provided that it is “narrowly targeted.”

“I’m in discussion, we all are, with ministration. If we reach a decision along with ministration to move to ar phase, that’ll be time to interact with Democrats,” he said.

Still, recent polls show GOP voters are far more likely to be satisfied with government’s virus response than Democrats. y are less fearful of a second wave of cases as states loosen stay-at-home orders, and y are t clamoring for more aid.

“We’re starting to hear grumbling against spending that I haven’t heard for a while,” said am Brandon, president of FreedomWorks, a conservative group that has helped promote demonstrations around country demanding a relaxation of state lockdown orders.

On Capitol Hill, question of what to do next is sowing GOP division.

Conservative senators from solidly red states argue that Washington has done eugh, and y have been squaring off in meetings with GOP moderates and pragmatists siding with Democrats. moderates are supportive of fiscal relief for states and local governments, help for Postal Service, ditional jobless aid, and furr provisions on testing and tracing for virus, which has alrey claimed more than 80,000 lives in U.S.

conservative senators have influence with Trump, but he doesn't share ir fiscal instincts.

president and deputies like Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have signaled a willingness to deliver aid to state and local governments — funding that is a core demand of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. And Trump at one point even floated a massive debt-financed effort on infrastructure, leaving many conservatives aghast.

Trump himself has cautioned Republicans against drawing a red line against state and local aid. president is talking to goverrs, ted a top House GOP leership aide who requested anymity to describe private conversations. aide emphasized that president remains extremely popular in most Republican congressional districts and still gives members a lot of cover by going along with him.

“As states begin to reopen we need to wait and see where and what need is, but policy process is ongoing at White House,” said a White House aide, requesting anymity to describe internal dynamics. “ president has said more help is coming.”

Many think next coronavirus bill, when it passes, will be last one for a while, with Congress likely to maintain an intermittent schedule as election nears.

“I don’t see us coming back before election so I’d rar us get this smart and right rar than shoveling more coal into fire, and people saying we’ll come back and do more,” McHenry said.

But it's clear that Republicans are dreing ar round of negotiations with Democrats.

While each of four prior COVID-19 response measures passed by almost unanimous votes, outcome required GOP leers to accept significant legislative victories for Pelosi and Senate Mirity Leer Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. y fear ar episode in which Mnuchin, a former Democrat, gives m even more.

For w, negotiations are in neutral. Senate is poised to push off legislative debate until after Memorial Day break, when Republicans hope virus will finally begin to ease.

“We will be working in a bipartisan way and with White House to make sure ... we’re dressing very serious needs of American people when it becomes both to health emergency and ecomic emergency that y’re experiencing right w,” said . 2 Senate Republican John Thune of South Dakota.