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Congress is at a crossroads in the coronavirus crisis, wrestling over whether to “go big,” as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants for the next relief bill, or hit “pause,” as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell insists. It’s a defining moment for the political parties heading toward the election and one that will affect the livelihoods of countless Americans suddenly dependent on the federal government. Billions in state aid, jobless benefits and health resources are at stake. As questions mount over Washington’s proper role, it’s testing the ability of President Donald Trump and Congress to do the right thing. (Mascaro, 5/26)

Senate Republicans are examining offering cash incentives for unemployed Americans returning to work, looking for an alternative to the extension of enhanced jobless benefits supported by Democrats. Republicans are concerned that the current $600 a week unemployment payment—on top of state unemployment benefits—is so generous that it is discouraging people from going back to work and damping the economy’s reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic. Democrats want to extend the payments, which are set to end in July, into next year, an idea Republicans have rejected. (Hughes and Wise, 5/24)