

Rand Paul, R-Ky., who tested positive for the disease. Neither the Senate nor House have major hearings scheduled in the days ahead to avoid spreading the disease.Īnd several key lawmakers have already gone into self-quarantine, either because they have tested positive for the virus or been exposed to people who have. On March 19, a coalition of clean energy groups urged congressional leaders to extend the start of construction and safe harbor deadlines to qualify for renewable tax credits and for "renewable credits to be available for direct payment to facilitate their monetization." The groups also asked Congress to enact a "direct pay tax credit" for stand-alone energy storage facilities.Īt the same time, some Democrats on Capitol Hill want to condition approval of financial assistance for airlines and cruise ships on new commitments from those companies to curb their greenhouse gas emissions.Īlthough Congress in the coming week will focus on coronavirus relief legislation, most other regular business is being put aside. The wind, solar and energy storage industries' push for assistance in the wake of the coronavirus-related market downturn could offer a bargaining chip to lawmakers who want to help vulnerable shale producers. Nevertheless, lawmakers could be open to negotiating the addition of energy industry aid either to McConnell's bill or future coronavirus legislation.

In addition to Schumer's concerns, key Democratic lawmakers have opposed potential aid for fossil fuel producers, signaling a tough fight to attach such measures to McConnell's bill as it progresses through the Senate and, if it passes that chamber, the Democrat-controlled U.S. ET March 23, 15 minutes after the markets open. McConnell scheduled another procedural vote on the bill at 9:45 a.m. The updated package also proposed $450 billion for the Secretary of the Treasury to provide loans or loan guarantees for distressed businesses that incur coronavirus-related losses, triple the amount included in the original bill, ClearView said.īut the legislation failed to clear a procedural vote on March 22, with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., saying the measure "included a large corporate bailout with no protections for workers" and did not contain enough money for hospitals and medical workers. Department of Energy to purchase oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to support struggling domestic oil producers, although such funding was absent from the initial text.

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The new package would provide cash payments to individual Americans, relief for small businesses and distressed industries such as airlines, and address medical equipment and virus testing shortages.Īccording to consulting firm ClearView Energy Partners LLC, a March 22 update to the bill included the $3 billion that the Trump administration had requested for the U.S. The legislation, which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., unveiled March 19, is the third coronavirus response bill that Congress has taken up in the past month. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Congress will be in session the week of March 23, with lawmakers working to advance another coronavirus relief package despite bipartisan divisions that have created early hurdles for the bill.
