尽管共和党人继续对另一项刺激计划踩刹车，但国会共和党议员越来越多的迹象表明，未来几乎肯定需要采取行动。
“我们不知道何时或具体规模有多大，但我认为每个人都相信，未来我们将不得不做一些事情来恢复经济，”参议员罗伊·布朗特说。)，第四号共和党人。
但是，国会通过的任何法案的效果可能要到7月或8月才能感受到，潜在的立法还有几周才能通过。共和党人和唐纳德·特朗普总统希望纳入的细节仍有待确定，因为目前还没有具体的计划。
尽管如此，一些共和党参议员在周二与特朗普会面后表示，他们的党内会议越来越接受更多的经济救助几乎是不可避免的。
参议员托德·杨。)，也是一名领导成员，告诉记者“负责任的条款和建议”——而不是“极左自由主义者的愿望清单”众议院民主党以3万亿美元一揽子方案的形式获得通过周五—“需要纳入我们的下一轮回应。”
根据参议院多数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔的说法，“一些关于下一步的初步讨论”已经开始。但是肯塔基共和党人仍然对他的立场无动于衷，他们需要进一步研究，随着企业重新向付费客户敞开大门，需要什么样的联邦救济。“我们将在未来几周内讨论前进的方向，”麦康奈尔补充道。
5月19日，在DC首都华盛顿的国会大厦，特朗普总统在与共和党参议员会面后向媒体发表讲话。图中还有L-R、参议员罗伊·布朗特、参议员约翰·巴拉索和参议院多数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔。
在3600多万美国人申请失业救济和艰难的复苏之路之后，共和党人越来越愿意采取另一项刺激措施，尽管各州仍在照常营业。共和党议员喜欢比他们的民主党同事更保守的回应，这是未来政治斗争的预演。
国会已经为应对冠状病毒大流行拨款总计约3万亿美元，这是共和党人不愿发放更多资金的原因。众议院民主党上周通过了一项他们自己的提案，通过了一项3万亿美元的法案脱离自己政党的人而不是过道那边的支持。共和党人已经明确表示，这样一个庞大的法案是不可行的。
迄今为止，特朗普一直对另一项刺激计划不置可否。有时，他会附和国会中的共和党人，主张暂停支出。在其他时候，总统暗示他们需要工资税削减、基础设施项目，甚至可能会接受第二轮个人支票。
据当时在场的两名议员说，周二，特朗普与共和党参议员闭门共进午餐，围绕这一主题翩翩起舞。
“我特别问他，他是否觉得我们需要再做一个法案，以及在他看来，法案中应该包括什么。他给出了一个非常谨慎、巧妙的回答，这告诉我他还没准备好说，”参议员约翰·肯尼迪说。)，他指出他对特朗普的描述是回避，他的回答不是批评。
5月19日，DC国会山，参议院共和党人政策午餐会后，唐纳德·特朗普总统在新闻发布会上发表讲话后离开。
参议员凯文·克莱默(共和党)说，根据特朗普的行为，“他认为我们的步伐是正确的:让它发挥出来，看看它如何发展。”
参议员们正准备开始为期一周的阵亡将士纪念日休会，直到6月的第一周才会回来。“我们回来后，”克莱姆说，“我们会看看，看看我们能做些什么，并把注意力集中在必要和有益的事情上。”
立法者正在更直接地考虑对一些已经实施的项目进行技术上的修改，比如延长工资保护计划下的贷款免除期，给企业额外的八周时间来花费资金和重新雇用员工。
另一个潜在的变化是允许各州在根据2.2万亿美元的预算赤字法案分配给他们的1500亿美元上有更大的灵活性，肯尼迪的这个想法得到了白宫不冷不热的回应。
另一个救助方案的争论焦点是增加州和地方的资金来弥补这些赤字。众议院民主党在周五通过的救助措施中为市政当局拨款1万亿美元。但是在争论中——尤其是在共和党人中间，他们在这个问题上意见分歧——两院的两党议员团体正在争取5000亿美元。
美联储主席警告说，病毒爆发后，可能会出现“长期”衰退和失业。他敦促联邦政府考虑采取更多措施，比如批准对各国的额外援助，以阻止长期的经济损失。
参议院少数党领袖查克·舒默(Chuck Schumer)告诉记者:“共和党的‘暂停’是一场河上赌博，美国工人极有可能用他们的家园、家庭和生计来支付共和党无所作为的代价。”。“他们在哪个星球上？”
REPUBLICANS SIGNAL ANOTHER STIMULUS WILL COME—BUT DON'T EXPECT HELP ANYTIME SOON
Although Republicans continue to pump the brakes on another stimulus package, there are growing indicators from GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill that future action will almost certainly be required.
"We don't know when or exactly how big, but I think everybody believes that there will be future things we have to do to get the economy back," said Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), the No. 4 Republican.
But the effects of anything Congress does pass will likely not be felt until July or August, with potential legislation still weeks away from being approved. And the details of what Republicans and President Donald Trump would want included are still to-be-determined as no concrete plan is currently in the works.
Still, some GOP senators said following a meeting with Trump on Tuesday that there is growing acceptance among their party conference that more economic relief is almost inevitable.
Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.), also a member of leadership, told reporters that "responsible provisions and proposals"—rather than the "far-left liberal wish-list" that House Democrats passed in the form of a $3 trillion package on Friday—"need to be incorporated in our next round of response."
"Some preliminary discussions about what comes next" have taken place, according to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. But the Kentucky Republican remained unmoved from his stance they need to further examine what sort of federal relief is needed as businesses reopen their doors to paying customers. "We'll discuss the way forward in the next couple of weeks," McConnell added.
President Trump speaks to the press after meeting with Republican Senators in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, May 19 in Washington, DC. Also pictured, L-R, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
The increasing willingness from Republicans for another stimulus comes in the wake of more than 36 million Americans filing for unemployment benefits and a tough recovery road ahead, even with states resuming business as usual. The GOP lawmakers' preference for a more reserved response than their Democratic colleagues is a preview of the political battle to come.
Congress has already appropriated a total of about $3 trillion in its response to the coronavirus pandemic, the source of hesitation from Republicans to dole out more funding. House Democrats went ahead with a proposal of their own last week, passing a massive $3 trillion bill with more defectors from their own party than support from across the aisle. Republicans have made clear there is no viability for such a mammoth bill.
Trump has so far been noncommittal to another stimulus. At times, he has echoed Republicans in Congress to advocate for a pause in spending. At other moments, the president has suggested they need payroll tax cuts, infrastructure projects and would even be open to a second round of individual checks.
Meeting with GOP senators behind closed doors for lunch on Tuesday, Trump danced around the subject, according to two lawmakers who were in the room.
"I asked him specifically whether he felt we need to do another bill and what, in his opinion, should be in it. He gave a very careful, artful answer, which tells me he's not ready to say," said Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), who noted his description of Trump side-stepping his answer was not a criticism.
President Donald Trump leaves after speaking at a press conference following the Senate Republicans policy luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on May 19.
Senator Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said that based on Trump's demeanor, "he thinks we're taking the right pace: Let it play out and see how it's going."
Senators are preparing to embark on a week-long recess for Memorial Day and will not return until the first week of June. "After we get back," Cramer said, "we'll take a look and see what we can do and keep focused on the things that are necessary and helpful."
Technical changes to some of the programs already implemented are under more immediate consideration by lawmakers, such as extending the loan forgiveness period under the Paycheck Protection Program to give businesses an extra eight weeks to spend their funding and rehire staff.
Another potential change is to allow states more flexibility with the $150 billion allocated to them under the $2.2 trillion CARES Act for budget shortfalls, an idea from Kennedy that has so warm received a lukewarm response from the White House.
At the center of debate over another relief package is more state and local funding to meet those deficits. House Democrats carved out $1 trillion for the municipalities in their relief measure passed Friday. But amid the debate—which is particularly playing out among Republicans, who are split on the issue—groups of bipartisan lawmakers in both chambers are pushing for $500 billion.
Federal Reserve Chairman has warned of a potential "prolonged" recession and unemployment in the aftermath of the virus. He has urged the federal government to consider taking more steps, like approving additional aid to states, to thwart long-term economic damage.
"The Republican 'pause' is a riverboat gamble where American workers will in all likelihood pay the cost of Republican inaction with their homes, their families and their livelihoods," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters. "What planet are they on?"
