The White House has noted it is willing to abandon including a “liability shield”–an item advocated by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell–in the next coronavirus relief package, signalling a greater split between the Administration and the Senate republicans, according to the Washington Post.
McConnell had previously stated that there was no compromise on the inclusion of a liability shield for employers whose employees contract coronavirus on the job.
“We’re not negotiating over liability protection,” McConnell told CNBC Tuesday. “We’re not negotiating with Democrats over that.”
The bill passed by the House in May did not include a liability shield, with Democrats objecting to giving employers blanket protection. McConnell, however, has called it a “red line” that would prevent a bill from being considered in the Senate.
While the White House wants a liability shield in a future aid package, the Administration is willing to drop it if it speeds the passage of a bill. The Administration fears public backlash from the expiring provisions in the previous aid bill, such as expanded unemployment supplements and eviction protections, both of which expire today.
The willingness to drop the liability shield may reflect an Administration retaliation for the Senate relief bill failing to include payroll tax cuts, a key program touted by Trump and the Administration.