Bipartisan House group unveils $1.5 trillion coronavirus relief plan

Problem Solvers Caucus offers compromise on unemployment, state and local aid sticking points, but leaders may not embrace

The 50-member, bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus on Tuesday released a $1.5 trillion COVID-19 aid package that they hope will help push congressional leaders and the White House toward a similar compromise.

The measure also gives the caucus members, many of whom are considered vulnerable for reelection this cycle, an opportunity to tell voters they offered a compromise and deflect blame for potential inaction on a new aid bill before the elections.

In arriving at $1.5 trillion, the Problem Solvers plan is almost exactly halfway between the $3.4 trillion bill the House passed in May and a $300 billion proposal Senate Republicans offered on the floor last week. Their proposal, however, includes automatic triggers based on hospitalization rates and progress towards vaccine development that could increase the cost by as much as $400 billion or reduce it by up to $200 billion. Continue reading.

Rep. Phillips and Problem Solvers Release Bipartisan Reopening and Recovery “Back to Work” Checklist

Yesterday, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) appeared on Fox Business with Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA) to talk about the Problem Solvers Caucus Reopening and Recovery “Back to Work” Checklist, a data-driven proposal focused on reopening America safely and  reigniting the economy. The announcement is the culmination of weeks of work by Rep. Phillips, the Problem Solvers Caucus, and national experts and comes as Congress nears an agreement on additional economic relief for American small businesses.

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CLICK HERE to watch Rep. Phillips discuss the bipartisan “Back to Work” Checklist on Fox Business

The bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus – 25 Democrats and 25 Republicans strong –found consensus on the bipartisan set of recommendations focused on public health,economic rescue, and stimulus plans for our country’s immediate future. The plan will serve as guiding principles that the Problem Solvers Caucus hope to see incorporated and addressed in the country’s plans to address the global Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Continue reading “Rep. Phillips and Problem Solvers Release Bipartisan Reopening and Recovery “Back to Work” Checklist”

Problem Solvers propose bipartisan benchmarks for economic recovery

Plan calls for expanded testing, creation of a federal contact-tracing database and more

The Problem Solvers Caucus has come up with a bipartisan checklist of public health benchmarks for getting the economy started again and policies to help with the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

The six-page plan, shared first with CQ Roll Call, calls for establishing protocols to address viral hotspots, expanding testing, creating a federal contact-tracing database and instituting real-time data reporting on state and local hospital capacity and projected needs for health care staff, personal protective equipment, ventilators and respirators.

“This will require a regional, industry by-industry, incremental, multi-faceted, and data-driven approach,” the introduction to the checklists says. “This isn’t one-size-fits-all vision, but rather a dynamic multi-prong, multi-front strategy combining health, economic rescue, and stimulus plans for our nation’s immediate future.” Continue reading.