After threatening to block the Memorial Day recess, Sen. Cory Gardner said Thursday he feels “good” about where things stand. That’s because the Senate is expected to approve a deal to give small businesses hurt by the pandemic more time to spend their loans.
Facing a tough reelection fight, the Colorado senator said Wednesday he was willing to fight plans to head home for 10 days next week. But after congressional leaders made significant progress to give businesses more time to spend Paycheck Protection Program money, senators started scattering around the country at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
“We’re very close to a number of things that are needed. So we’re close. PPP and some other things that will help Colorado. We’ve always got more work to do,” Gardner said in an interview. “I feel good about what we can hopefully accomplish here. We’ve got a Colorado jobs bill … this is a major change if we get the agreement.”
Gardner had also laid out his hopes on Wednesday that the Senate could do far more work on a fifth coronavirus bill and was privately speaking with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) about further commitments. Gardner said the Senate needs to go bigger in June.
“We have to,” he said. “This place has no choice.”
But Gardner’s likely Democratic opponent, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said “Coloradans need help now.”
“Cory Gardner made a big stink about keeping the Senate in Washington, but less than a day later, he’s given up and seems happy to do whatever Mitch McConnell says,” Hickenlooper said in a statement.
The easing of the threat to stop senators’ beloved recesses reflects backchannel conversations between Gardner and GOP leaders as well as talks between Senate Small Business Committee Chairman Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and ranking member Ben Cardin (D-Md.). The agreement will likely give businesses at least 16 weeks to spend their Paycheck Protection Program loans, which can be forgiven, according to Republican senators. The current limit is eight weeks.
The emerging deal on the business loans avoids what could have been an intraparty feud on the Senate floor. Both facing reelection campaign in blue territory, Gardner and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) have said the Senate shouldn’t leave without addressing coronavirus. But most Republicans still want to wait and see how the nearly $3 trillion Congress has spent already works before committing to more.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said when the Senate takes up the next bill will depend on the United States’ economic situation. He said other than perhaps granting states and cities more flexibility, “I don’t think there’s any consensus on the next step.”
Privately, Republicans are predicting talks won’t pick up in earnest until June or even July. McConnell told House Republicans on Wednesday that he was comfortable waiting and seeing how money is spent and where it is needed rather than trying to quickly match the House, which passed a $3 trillion recovery bill last week.
Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) said even if the Senate had stayed in next week it would likely have concentrated on nominations rather than coronavirus legislation, given the lack of agreement on what to do next.
The Senate has been in session for three weeks but has focused on nominations. However, several committees have held hearings on the coronavirus.
Gardner said on Wednesday it was “unfathomable” that the Senate would leave without doing more. He asked for more money for testing, changes to the Paycheck Protection Program and a stimulus bill.
“Now is not the time for the Senate to go home,” he said Wednesday.