Pandemic politics leave DC in gridlock as virus surges

With nation gripped by a resurgent coronavirus and looking to Washington for help, President Donald Trump and lawmakers in Congress have a mess for struggling Americans: Just keep waiting.

urgency of nationwide surge in virus cases, spiking hospitalizations and increasing death tolls has hardly resonated in nation’s capital as its leaders are vexed by transition politics and trying to capitalize on promise of a coming vaccine. virus has killed more than 246,000 Americans this year and infected at least 11.1 million — some 1 million of m in just past week.

Yet in Congress, where talks over ecomic relief bills stalled out months ago, lame-duck approval of aid appears is hardly front-of-mind. Across town at White House, Trump is more focused on getting credit for vaccine development push and blocking President-elect Joe Biden from getting information needed to ensure new administration can smoothly take over fight against pandemic.

“Ar Vaccine just anunced,” Trump tweeted Monday morning after Moderna anunced that its candidate appeared in early testing to be 95% effective against virus. “For those great ‘historians’, please remember that se great discoveries, which will end China Plague, all took place on my watch!”

On a call Monday with goverrs, Vice President Mike Pence, who heads White House coronavirus task force, struck a rosy tone and asked states to give ir residents comfort that vaccines are coming and that “America and your state has never been more prepared.”

That didn't stop Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards from appealing to Pence and Trump for a more unified mess on importance of social distancing and wearing masks. And Dr. Deborah Birx, task force coordinator, reported that 27 states were in “red zone” for widespread transmission of virus — more widespread and worrisome than spikes seen earlier this year.

Biden, who has warned of a “dark winter” ahead on virus, called for Trump administration to share its vaccine distribution plans with his own incoming administration, warning that “more people may die if you don’t coordinate.”

Saying vaccine plans are vital to repairing nation’s ecomy, Biden said, “If we have to wait until Jan. 20 to start that planning, it puts us behind.”

Biden said he was hopeful that Trump “will be mildly more enlightened before we get to Jan. 20.” He said he understood Trump’s “reluctance” to admit defeat and share his administration's plans but called it “a shame.”

re’s progress in Congress yet, eir. split-decision election — in which Democrats absorbed sizable losses in House races despite defeating Trump — hasn’t sparked any progress or prodded House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., or Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to move from ir pre-election postures.

Pelosi wants to go big, say $2 trillion; McConnell wants a smaller pack in $500 billion range that his rightward-tilting colleagues can live with. Moving toward somewhere in middle would be difficult for both camps.

Trump is a disruptive factor on Capitol Hill and deal is possible without his buy-in, or at least his signature. Without a better and more reliable signal of Trump’s intentions, both McConnell and Pelosi could be wary of navigating turbulence required to forge an agreement.

results of election have also weakened negotiating position of Pelosi, who played hardball during weeks leading up to election, only to come away empty-handed. But she is t — yet — wavering from her insistence on a sweeping and comprehensive relief bill rar than more targeted approach favored by Republicans.

And for w, Pelosi is devoting her energies to soothing her unhappy Democratic caucus in advance of leadership elections this week. It seems like wrong moment to telegraph concessions to McConnell and Republicans.

two longstanding adversaries are formidable when ir interests align, but ir offices say y have t spoken since election and don’t kw when y will. sole must-pass legislation for lame-duck session is a temporary spending bill to avert a government shutdown — or a broader governmentwide omnibus funding bill if negotiations go well. COVID relief could be an add-on to eir bill.

Biden team would like a down payment of COVID relief w and is standing by Pelosi’s handling of matter.

“We have her back in handling this,” incoming Biden chief of staff Ron Klain said Sunday on NBC's “Meet Press.” “Our mess to Speaker Pelosi is: ‘Keep doing what you’re doing to Republicans. Let’s get this done.’ I mean, this could be a first example of bipartisan action post election.”

Meanwhile, Trump’s preferred science adviser, Dr. Scott Atlas, stepped up his criticism of goverrs for moving to reimpose restrictions meant to slow spread of virus. On Sunday night, Atlas urged people to “rise up” after Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer anunced closures to some schools and businesses in face of latest wave of cases.

Atlas, who is t an infectious disease expert, earned himself a White House appointment by echoing Trump’s skepticism of mask-wearing and support for "reopening" ecomy. Trump has urged supporters to push Whitmer to reopen state following virus restrictions, though many rules had been lifted previously. And 14 men have been charged in connection with an alleged plot to kidnap goverr.

“It’s just incredibly reckless considering everything that has happened, everything that is going on,” Whitmer said. “We really all need to be focused on public health crisis that is ravaging our country and that poses a very real threat to every one of us.”

(Im Credit: AP)