In the News
Judy Woodruff:
How do you break a stalemate?
Lawmakers and the White House remain at odds on how to agree on relief to the economic casualties of COVID. Despite the odds, a group of U.S. House members on both sides of the aisle are trying to breach the divide.
John Yang has the story.
John Yang:
Judy, the group of 25 House Democrats and 25 House Republicans calls itself the Problem Solvers Caucus. Its new plan has a $1.5 trillion price tag.
AS OF TUESDAY morning, this was the status of efforts to move a much-needed new round of pandemic-related economic support through Congress: The House had passed a $3.4 trillion bill in May, which was quickly dismissed by Republicans as far too expensive. Talks between the White House and Democratic congressional leaders on a compromise fell apart before lawmakers took an August recess.
In a crisis, statesmen find a way to compromise. Can the Democratic and Republican leaders of Congress manage that?
The 50-member bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus is offering a $1.5 trillion bill to end the latest impasse over coronavirus relief, to deliver the aid that both sides agree is needed.
Facing growing concern from moderate Democrats in competitive re-election races, Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said on Tuesday that the House would not leave for the November elections without acting on an additional round of federal aid to prop up the coronavirus-ravaged economy.
The leaders of the House Problem Solvers Caucus Friday expressed optimism that Republicans and Democrats will soon come together on a major coronavirus deal to continue supplemental unemployment benefits, help struggling small businesses and fund the reopening of schools.
NPR's Michel Martin speaks to Congressmen Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) about the latest coronavirus relief bill and calls for Congress to change its rules to allow more remote work.
Bipartisan support does not come easy these days but, on occasion, leaders on Capitol Hill come together to back meaningful legislation that stands to have real impact. This includes H.R. 2117 - the FASTER (Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education and Research) Act. If passed, the FASTER Act will have an undeniably positive impact on the lives of 32 million Americans.
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), lead sponsor of H.R. 1980, the Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act today announced that she has formally requested that the bill be placed on the consensus calendar. The legislation currently has 292 cosponsors
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In Sept. 2018, New York Republican Rep. Tom Reed and his Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chair, Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) outlined a plan to "break the gridlock." By offering a series of rules reform requests, it their attempt to clear the way for highly-supported legislation to actually get a vote on the house floor. In early 2019, the duo struck the deal with incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Trying to ease gridlock in Congress, a bipartisan group of frustrated House members is coming forward with a rules overhaul intended to give rank-and-file lawmakers more say.
The proposal, to be formally unveiled Wednesday by the House Problem Solvers Caucus, also seeks to rein in hard-right Republican forces in the chamber that have wielded significant influence over the majority party in recent years.