Trump faces unusual barrier to COVID aid: GOP allies | TheHill

President TrumpDonald John TrumpDes Moines mayor says he's worried about coronavirus spread at Trump rally Judiciary Committee Democrats pen second letter to DOJ over Barrett disclosures: 'raises more questions that it answers' Trump asks campaign to schedule daily events for him until election: report MORE's last-ditch effort to secure another enormous package of emergency coronavirus relief is being threatened by an unusual group: his GOP allies in Congress.For almost four years, Republican leaders have rallied behind the president on issues as varied as health care, immigration, trade and defense, even when his positions bucked long-held conservative doctrines.Yet just weeks before the Nov. 3 election, as the embattled president is exhorting Congress to move a major package of COVID-19 aid, those same lawmakers have emerged as the single greatest barrier standing in his way.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellGraham dismisses calls to delay Barrett confirmation hearings Pelosi calls Trump administration policies on testing and tracing inadequate Durbin: Republicans have been 'packing the court for the past three and a half years, and they brag about it' MORE (R-Ky.) has repeatedly thrown cold water on the idea of spending trillions more dollars to fight the pandemic, citing the opposition of roughly 20 Republicans in the upper chamber warning of the long-term effects on the federal debt.On a conference call Saturday, Senate Republicans relayed those concerns to party leaders and top Trump officials, trumpeting their objections to a $1.8 trillion package proposed by the White House a day earlier and ensuring that the only path to passage is on the shoulders of Democratic votes — a strategy McConnell has rejected virtually out of hand.The resistance comes at a crucial point in the presidential campaign, when Trump is recovering from his own bout with COVID-19, trailing badly in the polls and all but pleading with Republican leaders to “go big” — and throw him a late-cycle lifeline to promote on the trail.“I would like to see a bigger stimulus package, frankly, than either the Democrats or the Republicans are offering,” Trump told Rush Limbaugh, a conservative radio host, shortly before Treasury Secretary Steven MnuchinSteven Terner MnuchinPelosi calls Trump administration policies on testing and tracing inadequate Administration officials call on Congress to immediately pass bill to spend unused PPP funds Trump claims he is 'immune' from coronavirus, defends federal response MORE delivered the $1.8 trillion offer to Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiTrump slight against Gold Star families adds to military woes Pelosi calls Trump administration policies on testing and tracing inadequate Trump claims he is 'immune' from coronavirus, defends federal response MORE (D-Calif.).Democrats have rejected the White House proposal, saying it simply doesn’t provide enough funding to address the dual crises of health and economy sparked by the pandemic, particularly when it comes to ensuring fast and reliable testing.