WASHINGTON, D.C. (CNN) – Senate Republicans are formally unveiling their new stimulus proposal while the White House deals with another COVID-19 case.
Coronavirus breached President Trump’s inner circle Monday after his National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien tested positive for coronavirus.
Trump didn’t say when he last met with O’Brien, whose office is in the West Wing. O’Brien is the highest-ranking official to contract the virus and in a statement with no name on it, the White House confirmed that he’s self-isolating and working off-site.
Shockingly, O’Brien’s own staff was never formally told about his diagnosis and several found out their boss had tested positive from the press.
O’Brien was last at the White House on Thursday when a source familiar said he got a call and abruptly left campus. O’Brien recently returned from a trip to Paris where he met with his counterparts from the U.K., France, Germany and Italy. He was photographed on multiple occasions not wearing a mask or social distancing.
The president was in North Carolina Monday to tour a facility helping manufacture key elements of a possible vaccine candidate. It’s part of a larger effort to course-correct after several polls showed voters rejected trump’s handling of the coronavirus.
“I really do believe a lot of the governors should be opening up states that they’re not opening,” the president said.
Trump recently went two weeks without a single COVID-19 event on his public schedule, but after a round of golf with NFL star Brett Favre this weekend, he announced he won’t throw out the first pitch at the Yankees game because of his “strong focus on the China virus.”
On Capitol Hill, Republicans unveiled their $1 trillion coronavirus relief proposal after a tense weekend of negotiations with the White House.
The GOP wants to cut enhanced unemployment benefits from $600 to $200, allocate billions for testing and top federal health agencies and put $105 billion toward reopening schools. But there’s no sense that all Republicans will support it.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said, “Half the Republicans are going to vote no to any Phase 4 package. That’s just a fact.”
Benefits from the last bill are set to expire in a matter of days and the White House suggested passing a smaller bill that would temporarily extend jobless benefits. White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said, “Perhaps we put that forward and get that passed as we can negotiate on the rest of the bill in the weeks to come.”
But Democrats are adamantly opposed to that idea and have put forward a bill of their own three times the size of Republicans.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said, “I have never, never… this is frustrating for so many people who’ve suffered seen the party in total disarray in the midst of a huge, huge crisis.”
Republican Senator Ted Cruz said Monday he expects “significant resistance” from Republicans to the GOP stimulus bill.
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