Karl W. Smith, Columnist

The Case Mitch McConnell Needs to Make on Covid Spending

The only way to reduce debt levels later is to increase relief spending now.

July 28, 2020 at 10:15 PM UTC

Karl W. Smith is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. Previously, he was vice president for federal policy at the Tax Foundation and assistant professor of economics at the University of North Carolina.

He has the toughest job in Washington.
Photographer: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg

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Mitch McConnell is in a tough spot. Many of his fellow Senate Republicans are balking at the additional spending and debt required by the HEALS Act, the pandemic relief bill that is the successor to last spring’s CARES Act. He could appeal to some Democrats for support, but that would require more spending, further eroding GOP support and possibly triggering a showdown with the White House. And all of this is before negotiations with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

So what’s a Senate majority leader to do? The only way to bridge this divide may be to bolster the bill with pro-growth proposals that can win over Senate Republicans without any spending cuts that will make it impossible to reach a deal with House Democrats.