Democrats want to clear a supplemental spending package for COVID-19 response efforts by the end of next week before both chambers of Congress are scheduled to go on a two-week recess. But Republicans negotiating with them on offsets say a deal won’t come together until next week at the earliest.
Even if a deal is reached, drafted into text and ready to move sometime next week, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer will have to find floor time to process the pandemic aid bill and confirm Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson. Doing both in time to depart on schedule will require cooperation from all 100 senators, something often elusive.
Schumer held a negotiating session on potential offsets Wednesday afternoon with Republican Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Richard M. Burr of North Carolina and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
