There’s no palpable hunger for a shutdown so close to the Nov. 8 midterm elections, so Congress must pass a bill by midnight Sept. 30 to avert a lapse in funding.
“The cleaner the bill is, the more likely” it is to pass quickly, said Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D.
He wants tens of billions for Covid, and he says the pandemic is over,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a physician.
Cases, hospitalizations, deaths, mental health aspects of Covid, long Covid.
But conservatives are rebelling, saying Congress should push the issue into 2023 in the hope that the GOP will seize the majority and write legislation to its liking.