Talks Continue on Third COVID-19 Bill, Including on Telecom Provisions

Talks on a third economic stimulus bill addressing the effects of COVID-19 appeared likely to drag on into the weekend, with telecom-related provisions likely still in the negotiations mix. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Friday he considers “inadequate” the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (S-3548) from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Schumer and other Democrats were pushing strongly for the third COVID-19 bill to address pandemic-related infrastructure, including broadband capacity and distance learning resources (see 2003180066), lobbyists told us.

S-3548, which McConnell filed Thursday, would temporarily lift a current requirement that a physician have an established relationship with a patient before engaging in telehealth services. It also would implement a new payment rule for “federally qualified” health centers and rural health clinics that provide telehealth services to eligible patients “based on a composite rate that is similar to the payment that applies to payment for comparable telehealth services under the physician fee schedule.”

Schumer didn’t mention S-3548’s telehealth provisions but criticized the overall bill, saying it “does not do nearly enough” to address an array of economic and health effects of the epidemic. McConnell was pushing on the Senate floor for Hill leaders to reach an agreement in principle on a legislative compromise by midnight Friday to set up a schedule that would allow the House and Senate to hold final votes Monday on the measure. He filed for cloture on a vehicle for the hoped-for compromise bill (HR-748) and set a Sunday procedural vote. “We need to deliver relief now,” McConnell said. “We need to go big. We need to minimize new complexity. And we need to move swiftly.”

President Donald Trump said during a Friday news conference he’s in close contact with both McConnell and Schumer and believed a deal could happen quickly. Working groups of senators were also meeting Friday afternoon with Trump administration officials to work through a compromise on legislation. “The children are playing well with each other,” National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow told reporters.

It’s likely a final measure will include telehealth language and funding for additional distance learning resources, which Hill Democrats were pushing, lobbyists told us. Schumer’s proposal calls for specific distance education aid for historically black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and other minority-serving institutions. Democrats were also pushing for language to allow the FCC to ease current E-rate restrictions to allow recipient schools to issue Wi-Fi hot spots or devices to students, which the commission also backs.

There also appears to be some interest in providing economic relief for carriers to accelerate deployments, but it’s unclear whether talks on this progressed enough for it to be included in the third COVID-19 bill, lobbyists said. Democratic policy staff of the House Commerce Committee and other committees are funneling policy asks for the third package through the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., which is communicating with Schumer’s staff, Hill aides said. McConnell signaled a fourth legislative package is possible, but “as we get further away” from addressing the immediate needs to address the pandemic’s effects, the opportunities to address telecom issues through similar “bipartisan legislation are going to diminish,” one telecom lobbyist said.