Los Angeles Times - 18.03.2020

LATIMES.COM WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2020A

CORONAVIRUS

nounced Tuesday that it

would use its emergency

lending powers to help ex-

tend credit to support

households and businesses.

The Fed program, similar

to the one it created during

the financial crisis more

than a decade ago, would al-

low the central bank to buy

so-called commercial paper,

a market that the Fed said is

important in providing

“credit and funding for auto

loans and mortgages as well

as liquidity to meet the oper-

ational needs of a range of

companies.” The U.S. Treas-

ury authorized a $10-billion

backstop to fund this lend-

ing facility.

The administration also

encouraged taxpayers to file

their taxes by April 15 if they

are getting a refund in order

to add cash to the market-

place. But Mnuchin said if

individuals or businesses

owe taxes, they can get a de-

ferment with no interest for

90 days. Individuals could

defer up to $1 million in taxes

pected to include checks to
be sent to Americans in the
coming weeks. Mnuchin,
who has become the admin-
istration’s frontman in nego-
tiating the stimulus, said de-
tails would be announced
shortly about how large the
checks would be and when
they would be sent. He sug-
gested the amounts would
be larger than the $1,
checks proposed in recent
days.
McConnell did not com-
mit to including per-person
checks in his package but
did say there would be some
component to put money di-
rectly into the hands of indi-
viduals. Rank-and-file Sen-
ate Republicans support the
idea of quickly infusing soci-
ety with cash and helping
workers who face layoffs.
“I think really now it’s just
a question of drafting it and
crafting it in a way that can
pass and work — that will
work soon enough,” said
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a
sentiment that was echoed
almost universally among
Senate Republicans.
Rubio, like Mnuchin, de-
fended the billions of dollars
that will be added to the na-
tion’s deficit in the coming
weeks.
“We’re not talking about
businesses here that made
bad decisions that are ask-
ing to be bailed out. This is a
virus,” he said. “That is an
extraordinary devel-
opment.”
The plan also is generally
expected to include pay-
ments and loans to small
businesses to keep their pay-
rolls afloat, and loan guaran-
tees to industries such as air-
lines and hotels. Trump said
airline maker Boeing is likely
to be included as well.
“This is worse than 9/11”
for the airline industry,
Mnuchin said, saying the
sector has “almost ground to
a halt.”
Several Republicans said
the check amount should
rise based on one’s income
and family size, although the
more targeted the support,
the longer it may take to ar-
rive in Americans’ mail-
boxes.
There is precedent for
the federal government to
send checks straight to
Americans, including in 2001
and during the Great Reces-
sion. In 2008, the Bush ad-
ministration’s tax-rebate
program sent checks of up to
$600 to individual taxpayers
and $1,200 to married cou-
ples.
Such direct payments
are usually spent almost im-
mediately, especially by peo-
ple with little savings, ac-
cording to research. But it’s
unclear whether that will oc-

cur this time because con-

sumers have been told not to

travel or go to malls, restau-

rants and theaters to pro-

tect public health.

As it focuses on the new

measure, the Senate is also

expected to approve a bill

the House passed early Sat-

urday that would enact paid

sick leave for a significant

chunk of the U.S. workforce.

That bill, hung up for several

days over last-minute

changes, also pays for co-

ronavirus testing and pro-

vides expanded food aid and

unemployment assistance

for people who lose work be-

cause of the pandemic.

Many Senate Republi-

cans didn’t like the plan but

agreed to support it in order

to move onto the third, much

more substantial economic

measure.

“My counsel to them is

gag and vote for it anyway,”

McConnell said.

The Federal Reserve,

which Sunday slashed inter-

est rates to near zero, an-

owed and corporations

could defer up to $10 million.

Trump, White House offi-

cials and congressional

leaders held several meet-

ings Monday and Tuesday

with industries expected to

get assistance from the plan.

Trump met Tuesday with

executives from the restau-

rant industry. And the

House Transportation

Committee chairman, Rep.

Peter A. DeFazio (D-Ore.), is

due to hold a phone meeting

with airline industry chief

executives.

But it’s far from certain

Democrats will be eager to

help the companies.

Rep. Katie Porter (D-

Irvine), a former consumer

advocate who worked with

families during the financial

crisis, cautioned against

passing substantial help for

corporations in a fast-mov-

ing piece of legislation. She

said there were pieces of leg-

islation passed “late at

night” during the foreclo-

sure crisis that had “a dec-

ade of consequences to

American families.”

“There are some things

we need to be doing immedi-

ately,” she said in an inter-

view, pointing to school

lunch funding and meals for

seniors. “Cries from big cor-

porations that just gave out

96% or more of their profits

in stock buybacks are not an

urgent thing for today.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren

(D-Mass.) dubbed such as-

sistance a “bailout” and said

companies that receive help

must agree to a series of de-

mands, including keeping

working people on their pay-

roll, providing a $15 min-

imum wage after the crisis

and permanently ending

share repurchases.

Meanwhile, Senate

Democrats are preparing a

$750-billion package of their

own. McConnell indicated

that Senate Republicans

would write the bill with the

administration and then

seek input from Democrats.

Minority Leader Charles

E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) out-

lined the details of the plan

during a Senate Democratic

meeting conducted via tele-

conference to avoid a large

gathering of senators.

“The resulting economic

downturn from this virus is

already impacting millions

of American families, work-

ers and business — small,

medium and large alike,”

Schumer said on the floor.

Individual Senate Re-

publicans have released a se-

ries of proposals as well. Sen.

Mitt Romney (R-Utah) has

proposed a one-time $1,

check for every American

adult. Other Republicans

have suggested similar pro-

posals or a significant cut in

payroll taxes.

Trump has set aside his

push for a payroll tax cut for

now, saying he wants to get

cash to Americans faster.

Times staff writers Noah

Bierman, Don Lee and Chris

Megerian contributed to

this report.

Bill offers relief to industries, workers

MAJORITYLeader Mitch McConnell, on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, says the Senate will not adjourn until an economic stimulus measure is

passed. Republicans hinted that they will take the lead on writing the latest measure, unlike two prior coronavirus response bills.

Susan WalshAssociated Press

[Stimulus,from A1]

WASHINGTON —Voters
are unnerved. Confusion is
growing throughout the
country as the coronavirus
outbreak moves states to
postpone primaries and
change voting procedures in
the midst of a presidential
election year. It is all leading
to a lot of speculation —
sometimes uninformed —
about what could happen in
November if this virus is still
spreading.
Are there any guarantees
the election will actually
happen if congregating in
public places, like polling
stations, is still a risk come
fall?
Can voters be confident
President Trump can’t ex-
ploit this crisis to avoid fac-
ing them if he fears defeat?
The short answer is yes.
While government officials
have the authority to re-
schedule voting for the
parties’ primaries, that flex-
ibility does not exist for the
general election.
It is all but certain to hap-
pen as planned. The ques-
tion is whether states reeling
from the pandemic will be
prepared to accommodate
everyone who wants to cast
ballots.
Here are some fuller an-
swers to key questions about
it all:

Can Trump use the na-

tional emergency to delay

the election?

No. The president does

not have that power. Legal

scholars are widely in agree-

ment on this point, as are

both Republican and Demo-

cratic election officials.

The nonpartisan Con-

gressional Research Service

reached the same conclu-

sion when it investigated the

question in the aftermath of

Sept. 11.

Under the U.S. Constitu-

tion, Trump and Vice Presi-

dent Mike Pence cannot

stay in office past their four-

year terms without being re-

elected. If the election does

not happen for any reason,

constitutional rules of suc-

cession kick in.

That could mean the new

president is a lawmaker

down the line of succession

who is not up for reelection,

who could also be a Demo-

crat. Installing a Democrat

in the White House via suc-

cession rules is not an out-

come Trump or any partisan

Republican seeks.

“The 20th Amendment

says if we have not chosen a

president by a certain date,

it goes to succession,” said

Rick Hasen, an election law

scholar at UC Irvine. “It’s not

like a delay would keep

Trump in office longer.”

So the presidential election

happens Nov. 3, no matter

what?

Very likely, but not abso-

lutely. In an extreme emer-

gency Congress could put it

off for a few weeks.

A 1948 law is very specific

about the election date: “the

Tuesday next after the first

Monday in November, in ev-

ery fourth year succeeding

every election of a President

and Vice President.”

Lawmakers could

change that, just not by very

much.

If they push the date out

too far, they quickly run

afoul of the Constitution.

Why can these states delay

primary voting?

Georgia, Kentucky, Loui-

siana and Maryland have de-

layed voting in party prima-

ries more than a month

amid coronavirus concerns.

Ohio, which was to vote on

Tuesday, did the same on

the eve of the election, de-

spite a judge’s order that

polls should open; state pub-

lic health officials declared

gathering in polling places

unsafe and the governor

sided with them.

The moves are unsettling

to voters but not unprece-

dented. New York passed

emergency legislation to

postpone a local primary

election being held on Sept.

1 1, 2001, and disrupted by the

terrorist attacks. Florida de-

layed some local elections

interrupted by Hurricane

Irma in 2017.

State officials have flex-

ibility to delay election-day

voting in primary elections.

They do not have the au-

thority to reschedule a fed-

eral general election.

“It’s important to re-

member the distinction be-

tween primary and general

elections,” Edward B. Foley,

director of the election law

program at Ohio State Uni-

versity, wrote on Twitter.

“There is no equivalent

power in the states to

change the date of the gen-

eral election for Congress or

the presidency.”

What happens if it’s not safe

to go to the polls on Nov. 3?

This is a big issue, which

election officials and activ-

ists are wrestling with now.

States, not the federal gov-

ernment, generally set their

own election laws, and that

has left some states in a

much better position than

others. States including Cal-

ifornia are well positioned

because they permit “no ex-

cuse” absentee voting. All

voters are welcome to cast

their ballots by mail or at

drop-off locations.

In at least 13 states, vot-

ers must provide an excuse,

such as a medical condition.

Those states are being en-

couraged to lift their restric-

tions on absentee voting. A

bill in the U.S. Senate would

require them to do so while

the public health crisis per-

sists, but it is unclear

whether it will pass. States

are also considering action.

The clock is ticking fast.

Lawmakers are abandoning

state capitols to take refuge

from the outbreak, and elec-

tion officials are warning

them not to wait until the fall

to act.

There are all manner of

logistical issues involved in

expanding vote-by-mail op-

erations, and election offi-

cials would need time to get

ready.

“There is very little time

to move things” in state leg-

islatures, said Jeanette Sen-

ecal, a senior official at the

League of Women Voters of

the United States. “We want

to make sure all voters have

access to the ballot box and

everyone’s civil rights are

protected.”

No, the November election can’t be canceled

A POLL worker sanitizes a voting machine Tuesday in Chicago. Illinois held its

primary despite the coronavirus outbreak, while Ohio postponed its election.

Charles Rex ArbogastAssociated Press

The question is being

asked in light of the

coronavirus crisis, but

the law seems clear.

By Evan Halper