Trump Urges GOP Senators

IN WASHINGTON

 President "Donald Trump" arrived on Capitol Hill on

 Tuesday for perhaps one of the larger social gatherings still happening in Washington amid the coronavirus - the weekly Senate Republican lunch.

Behind closed doors,

Trump was unscripted and freewheeling with the 53 GOP senators.

 He touted his poll numbers, dismissed rival Joe Biden and implored Republicans

 to “be tough” against Democrats this fall. Despite House passage 

of a $3 trillion pandemic aid package, Republicans insisted they’ll wait until June

 to consider whether more help is necessary.

“We had a great meeting -- all of the Republican senators were there,” 

Trump told reporters afterward.

The private gathering stood in contrast to the scenes playing out in households

 across the U.S. With social distancing and a shuttered economy, many Americans

 remain hunkered down at home, juggling children and jobs even as some states

 begin to reopen. More than 30 million are unemployed.

“They had a giant pep rally and got all fired up to do nothing,” said

 Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. “What a day.”

Washington’s power centers are at a political and economic crossroads as Congress

 and the White House consider next steps in the pandemic response.

While House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led Democrats in approving an aid package

 last week, Senate Republicans say "they’re not interested in providing more funds until they gauge how the $2 trillion in already-approved relief is being spent".

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said "there’s no urgency to act".

“We need to assess what we’ve already done, take a look at what worked and what 

didn’t,” said McConnell, R-Ky. “We’ll discuss the way forward in the next couple of 

weeks.”

As governors plead for funds, Pelosi’s package includes $900 billion to states and

 cities to shore up their budgets and prevent mass layoffs of state and

 local government workers. Regional tax revenues have plummeted during 

the virus outbreak and economic shutdown.

The Democratic bill also provides money for more virus testing,

 a fresh round of $1,200 rebate checks for cash-strapped Americans and other aid.

Republicans dismiss the House bill as a liberal wish list. They prefer to wait and see

 if efforts to open up the economy can provide a kick-start and lessen 

the need for more aid.

Trump’s visit to the weekly luncheon was billed by the White House as an opportunity 

for the president to thank senators for their work in fighting the virus outbreak and shoring up the economy, officials said.

But as senators convened behind closed doors, the discussion swiftly turned to politics.

Trump’s “enthusiasm” for the campaign against Biden, the presumed Democratic nominee, was clear, senators said.

The president warned them that Democrats are tougher than Republicans and

 won’t hesitate to go on offense. He revisited well-worn topics including

 the investigations of Russian interference in the 2016 election and ousted

 former national security adviser Michael Flynn, according to one 

Republican who was unauthorized to discuss the private session

 and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“He admonished all of us to be tough, fight back,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters afterward.

Democrats are eager to flip control of the Senate as voters evaluate Trump's handling of the pandemic crisis. Cornyn said the president explained to the senators, “It’s going to be a pitched battle.”

Trump was joined by son-in-law Jared Kushner, a senior adviser, and new chief of staff Mark Meadows, a former congressman.

The Capitol building remains largely closed with the House away because of health risks, but the Senate returned to session in early May.

The GOP lunch is among the few known gatherings still happening in the nation’s capital, which remains under stay-home orders through June 8. Since March, one GOP senator, several House members and dozens of Capitol Hill workers and staff have tested positive for the virus.

Gone is the buffet spread, with hot and cold offerings. Instead, it’s prewrapped sandwiches and salads, chips and water. The senators now gather in a bigger room across the street from the Capitol rather than the stately one steps from the Senate chamber. Seating is a socially distant three to a table. Many senators wear masks.

Federal guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests canceling large events of more than 250 people, and canceling those larger than 10 for high-risk populations, including the elderly.

Senate Democrats skip their weekly lunch and convene instead by conference call.

Trump set off alarms when he disclosed this week that he is taking the drug hydroxychloroquine despite grave warnings from health officials and the U.S. government that the anti-malaria drug is unproven to help against against COVID-19 and carries severe health risks, including death.

He did not discuss his decision to take the drug during the private lunch, senators said.

Tuesday brought a full day of administration appearances on Capitol Hill. Earlier, Vice President Mike Pence and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin huddled with McConnell and House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy for a previously scheduled meeting.

They discussed the COVID-19 response and the economy, according to a person familiar with the meeting who was unauthorized to describe it and spoke on condition of anonymity.

But it did not appear to change Republicans’ outlook that more funds are needed for the pandemic response.