cnbc--2020-04-27--Supreme Court sides with insurers in Obamacare case that leaves government on the hook for $12 billi

Supreme Court sides with insurers in Obamacare case that leaves government on the hook for $12 billion

A bicyclist passes the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington , D.C. , U.S. , on Thursday , April 16 , 2020 .
The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the government has to pay a $ 12 billion debt owed to insurance companies that participated in a program that existed in the first years of the Affordable Care Act , the health-care overhaul law known as Obamacare .
The court voted 8-1 to allow insurance companies to seek payments owed to them via Obamacare 's `` risk corridors '' program , which aimed to limit the risk insurance companies faced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their first years of operation .
The 2010 law called for Department of Health and Human Services to pay insurers who suffered losses under the program between 2014 and 2016 , while taking payments from those that made large profits .
The program never took in as much money as it was required to pay out , leading Republicans to liken it to a `` bailout fund '' for insurers .
In 2014 , the program owed nearly $ 3 billion to insurers , while it was only entitled to about $ 360 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was $ 5.5 billion .
In 2016 , the deficit was nearly $ 4 billion .
Republicans , who have fought against Obamacare since its inception , inserted language into appropriations legislation starting in 2014 that restricted HHS 's ability to use funding to make the risk corridor payments .
Citing that language , a federal appeals court had repeatedly ruled in the government 's favor , against the insurers .
But the Supreme Court rejected that reasoning .
Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that the congressional riders `` neither repealed nor discharged '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ By failing to appropriate money for debts already owed , `` Congress simply did that and no more . ''
`` These holdings reflect a principle as old as the Nation itself : The Government should honor its obligations , '' the Obama appointee wrote .
In dissent , Justice Samuel Alito wrote that the majority opinion `` has the effect of providing a massive bailout for insurance companies that took a calculated risk and lost . ''
Alito wrote that he would have scheduled the case to be reargued next term , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporations are permitted to seek damages from the government .
The case , known as Maine Community Health Options v. United States , is separate from another case over Obamacare that the justices have agreed to hear next term .
In that case , a coalition of red states and the Trump administration have asked the court to declare the entire law unconstitutional .

The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the government has to pay a $12 billion debt owed to insurance companies that participated in a program that existed in the first years of the Affordable Care Act, the health-care overhaul law known as Obamacare.
The court voted 8-1 to allow insurance companies to seek payments owed to them via Obamacare's "risk corridors" program, which aimed to limit the risk insurance companies faced when signing onto online health-care exchanges in their first years of operation.
The 2010 law called for the Department of Health and Human Services to pay insurers who suffered losses under the program between 2014 and 2016, while taking payments from those that made large profits.
The program never took in as much money as it was required to pay out, leading Republicans to liken it to a "bailout fund" for insurers. In 2014, the program owed nearly $3 billion to insurers, while it was only entitled to about $360 million. In 2015, the deficit was $5.5 billion. In 2016, the deficit was nearly $4 billion.
Republicans, who have fought against Obamacare since its inception, inserted language into appropriations legislation starting in 2014 that restricted HHS' ability to use funding to make the risk corridor payments. Citing that language, a federal appeals court had repeatedly ruled in the government's favor, against the insurers.
But the Supreme Court rejected that reasoning.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that the congressional riders "neither repealed nor discharged" the government's obligation to pay. By failing to appropriate money for debts already owed, "Congress simply did that and no more."
"These holdings reflect a principle as old as the Nation itself: The Government should honor its obligations," the Obama appointee wrote.
In dissent, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that the majority opinion "has the effect of providing a massive bailout for insurance companies that took a calculated risk and lost."
Alito wrote that he would have scheduled the case to be reargued next term, with a focus on when individuals and corporations are permitted to seek damages from the government.
The case, known as Maine Community Health Options v. United States, is separate from another case over Obamacare that the justices have agreed to hear next term. In that case, a coalition of red states and the Trump administration have asked the court to declare the entire law unconstitutional.


cnbc--2020-04-27--New York Board of Elections strikes Sanders from ballot, cancels Democratic presidential primary

The New York State Board of Elections on Monday canceled its Democratic presidential primary , scheduled for June 23 , after striking Sen. Bernie Sanders ' name from the ballot .
The board said it made the move in an effort to protect New Yorkers during the coronavirus outbreak , which has hit the state harder than any other in the nation .
Now , voters in about 20 counties that had no other contests on their ballot will not have to go to the polls , according to The New York Times .
`` I think it 's time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contest is over , '' Commissioner Doug Kellner explained during a livestream announcing the decision .
Sanders , the independent senator from Vermont , dropped out of the presidential race on April 13 and endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden , who built a near-insurmountable lead in pledged delegates after several key wins .
Despite dropping out , Sanders urged his followers to vote for him in the remaining primaries in order to pick up delegates and influence the party platform at the Democratic National Convention , which is slated for August .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden , now the apparent nominee , to embrace more liberal proposals on a range of issues .
Sanders ' campaign in a statement called the decision `` an outrage '' and a `` blow to American democracy , '' urging the Democratic National Committee to overturn it .
`` While we understood that we did not have the votes to win the Democratic nomination our campaign was suspended , not ended , because people in every state should have the right to express their preference .
What the Board of Elections is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only leads to a nominee but also the selection of delegates which helps determine the platform and rules of the Democratic Party , '' said Bernie 2020 senior advisor Jeff Weaver .
`` No one asked New York to cancel the election .
The DNC did n't request it .
The Biden campaign did n't request it .
And our campaign communicated that we wanted to remain on the ballot .
Given that the primary is months away , the proper response must be to make the election safe — such as going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than to eliminating people 's right to vote completely . ''
Our Revolution , a 501 ( c ) ( 4 ) organization that was created after Sanders ' first run for president in 2016 , has pushed its grassroots army to persuade voters to back the Vermont senator in states that have yet to hold their primaries .
It aims to make sure Sanders wins enough delegates to push for key reforms in the Democratic platform .
After the self-described democratic socialist was removed from the ballot , Our Revolution 's leadership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to delegates and state party leaders in the remaining primary states to persuade them that if they decide on a similar course , the party will split .
`` I would say to state party chairs in other states '' not to follow New York , Our Revolution 's chairman , Larry Cohen , said in an interview .
`` You are better off following the Republican governor in Ohio who extended a mail in ballot , than following a Democratic governor in New York , and that 's a disgrace , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added , while placing the blame entirely on Gov .
Andrew Cuomo and what he believes is his control of the state party apparatus .
At his daily coronavirus briefing in Albany on Monday , Cuomo distanced himself from the decision .
`` I 'm not going to second-guess the Board of Elections .
I 'll leave it up to the Board of Elections , '' Cuomo said .
New York , with its 274 pledged delegates , gave the senator one of his best chances to rack up some delegates .
New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 28 to June 23 due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus .
More than a dozen other states and U.S. territories have also delayed their nominating contests .
The outbreak has spread to dozens of countries globally , with more than 2.99 million confirmed cases worldwide and over 207,270 deaths so far , according to data from Johns Hopkins University .
There are at least 965,900 cases in the United States and at least 54,877 deaths , according to the latest tallies .

The New York State Board of Elections on Monday canceled its Democratic presidential primary, scheduled for June 23, after striking Sen. Bernie Sanders' name from the ballot.
The board said it made the move in an effort to protect New Yorkers during the coronavirus outbreak, which has hit the state harder than any other in the nation.
Now, voters in about 20 counties that had no other contests on their ballot will not have to go to the polls, according to The New York Times.
"I think it's time for us to recognize that the presidential contest is over," Commissioner Doug Kellner explained during a livestream announcing the decision.
Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont, dropped out of the presidential race on April 13 and endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden, who built a near-insurmountable lead in pledged delegates after several key wins.
Despite dropping out, Sanders urged his followers to vote for him in the remaining primaries in order to pick up delegates and influence the party platform at the Democratic National Convention, which is slated for August. He and his supporters have pushed for Biden, now the apparent nominee, to embrace more liberal proposals on a range of issues.
Sanders' campaign in a statement called the decision "an outrage" and a "blow to American democracy," urging the Democratic National Committee to overturn it.
"While we understood that we did not have the votes to win the Democratic nomination our campaign was suspended, not ended, because people in every state should have the right to express their preference. What the Board of Elections is ignoring is that the primary process not only leads to a nominee but also the selection of delegates which helps determine the platform and rules of the Democratic Party," said Bernie 2020 senior advisor Jeff Weaver.
"No one asked New York to cancel the election. The DNC didn't request it. The Biden campaign didn't request it. And our campaign communicated that we wanted to remain on the ballot. Given that the primary is months away, the proper response must be to make the election safe — such as going to all vote by mail — rather than to eliminating people's right to vote completely."
Our Revolution, a 501(c)(4) organization that was created after Sanders' first run for president in 2016, has pushed its grassroots army to persuade voters to back the Vermont senator in states that have yet to hold their primaries. It aims to make sure Sanders wins enough delegates to push for key reforms in the Democratic platform.
After the self-described democratic socialist was removed from the ballot, Our Revolution's leadership told CNBC they plan to reach out to delegates and state party leaders in the remaining primary states to persuade them that if they decide on a similar course, the party will split.
"I would say to state party chairs in other states" not to follow New York, Our Revolution's chairman, Larry Cohen, said in an interview. "You are better off following the Republican governor in Ohio who extended a mail in ballot, than following a Democratic governor in New York, and that's a disgrace, but that's a reality," he added, while placing the blame entirely on Gov. Andrew Cuomo and what he believes is his control of the state party apparatus.
At his daily coronavirus briefing in Albany on Monday, Cuomo distanced himself from the decision. "I'm not going to second-guess the Board of Elections. I'll leave it up to the Board of Elections," Cuomo said.
New York, with its 274 pledged delegates, gave the senator one of his best chances to rack up some delegates.
New York state originally postponed its primary from April 28 to June 23 due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus. More than a dozen other states and U.S. territories have also delayed their nominating contests.
The outbreak has spread to dozens of countries globally, with more than 2.99 million confirmed cases worldwide and over 207,270 deaths so far, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. There are at least 965,900 cases in the United States and at least 54,877 deaths, according to the latest tallies.


cnbc--2020-04-28--Pelosi says guaranteed income could be 'worthy of attention now' as coronavirus stifles economy

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , a Democrat from California , speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. , U.S. , on Tuesday , April 21 , 2020 .
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday that Congress may need to consider a guaranteed minimum income for Americans as one way to meet people 's basic needs while the country remains paralyzed by the coronavirus pandemic .
`` Let 's see what works , what is operational and what needs attention , '' the California Democrat said in an interview with MSNBC .
`` Others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guaranteed income for people .
Is that worthy of attention now ?
Perhaps so .
Because there are many more people than just in small business and hired by small business ... that may need some assistance as well . ''
The idea of a government-guaranteed minimum income has gained attention in the past year thanks largely to Andrew Yang , who ran in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary on a platform built around universal basic income .
Yang failed to win any delegates , but he built a devoted following and raised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate stage .
More recently , as the coronavirus pandemic has ravaged the U.S. economy and forced more than 25 million Americans to seek unemployment benefits , the idea of guaranteed income has reemerged as a possible way to stabilize the economy and help people meet their basic needs while millions of businesses are under forced closures .
In one of the last policy speeches of his 2020 presidential campaign , Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders proposed in mid-March that Congress give every household in America $ 2,000 a month for the duration of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have also noted the similarities between guaranteed income plans and the $ 1,200 cash payment for every American making less than $ 90,000 annually , which was included in the $ 2 trillion CARES Act passed by Congress and signed into law by the president March 27 .
`` I 'm pleased to see the White House adopt our vision of putting money directly into the hands of hard-working Americans , '' Yang said when the direct payments were first announced .
`` It 's unfortunate to see this development take place under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exactly what universal basic income is designed to do — offer a way to ensure that Americans can make ends meet when they need it most . ''

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, April 21, 2020.
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday that Congress may need to consider a guaranteed income for Americans as one way to keep people employed while the country remains paralyzed by the coronavirus pandemic.
"Let's see what works, what is operational and what needs attention," the California Democrat said in an interview with MSNBC.
"Others have suggested a minimum income, a guaranteed income for people. Is that worthy of attention now? Perhaps so. Because there are many more people than just in small business and hired by small business ... that may need some assistance as well."
An aide to Pelosi later clarified that the Speaker was referring specifically to paycheck guarantee proposals, and not to a more sweeping universal basic income.
In recent weeks, several Democratic members of Congress have introduced proposals that would give grants to employers of all sizes, not just small businesses, to let them continue paying their employees. They argue that such grants would keep employees from having to file for unemployment insurance, and help to ensure that businesses are ready to reopen right away when the pandemic subsides.
The coronavirus pandemic has ravaged the U.S. economy, and forced more than 25 million Americans to seek unemployment benefits. With most states not poised to reopen for several more weeks or months, the idea of guaranteed income has emerged as a possible way to stabilize the economy and halt the economic free-fall.
And while House Democrats' current paycheck guarantee proposals would give the grants to employers, other prominent Democrats have suggested giving the money directly to individuals.
In mid-March, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders proposed that Congress give every household in America $2,000 a month for the duration of the Covid-19 outbreak.
The $2 trillion CARES Act that was signed into law March 27 included a one-time cash payment of $1,200 for every American making less than $90,000 annually. But with no known treatment yet for Covid-19 and a coronavirus vaccine more than a year away, it's becoming clear to Congress that more money will be needed in order to keep millions of businesses from laying off their employees when existing short-term aid runs out;
UPDATE: This story has been updated to clarify that Pelosi was referring specifically to paycheck guarantee proposals, and not universal basic income.


cnbc--2020-04-27--Supreme Court suggests it is seeking a way out of Trump financial records cases

U.S. President Donald Trump pauses while speaking during a Easter blessing event in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington D.C. , U.S. , on Friday , April 10 , 2020 .
The Supreme Court on Monday called for more arguments in two cases over whether President Donald Trump may keep his financial records shielded from congressional investigators .
The request for new briefings ahead of oral arguments in the cases next month suggests at least some justices are eyeing a potential way out of having to issue a decision in the high-profile disputes .
The request was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The court asked the parties to the case and the Department of Justice 's solicitor general to provide briefs on `` whether the political question doctrine '' applies to the cases .
The `` political question doctrine '' refers to the practice in which courts sometimes leave some heated issues to the political branches .
The court 's order applies to two of the three cases it is reviewing concerning the president 's personal and business financial records .
The cases are the first to involve Trump 's personal dealings to make it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a 5-4 conservative majority including two of Trump 's own appointees .
The court is considering the cases as Trump is embroiled in a reelection fight against apparent Democratic nominee Joe Biden , the former two-term vice president .
The two cases involve subpoenas issued by Democratic-led House committees to Deutsche Bank and Capital One , as well as Trump 's longtime accounting firm , Mazars USA , seeking his financial records .
Lower courts have upheld the subpoenas , but attorneys for Trump have asked the Supreme Court to reverse those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a legitimate legislative purpose when it issued them .
In a third case before the Supreme Court , Trump is seeking to get the justices to reverse a lower court order allowing Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. to obtain Trump 's financial records from Mazars as part of a criminal investigation .
In that case , the political question doctrine does not apply because `` there is n't an inter-branch conflict , '' according to Willy Jay , a partner at the law firm Goodwin Procter who has argued more than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is purely federal versus state , he said .
The three cases will be argued on May 12 and are set to be among the first Supreme Court cases in history to be heard via teleconference , an unprecedented health precaution taken as a result of the spreading coronavirus .
Experts are divided on whether the Supreme Court 's interest in the political question doctrine stands to benefit Trump or hurt him .
Glenn Kirschner , a former federal prosecutor and a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC , wrote in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctrine `` would give Trump free reign . ''
But Steve Vladeck , a constitutional law expert who teaches at the University of Texas 's law school , said that if the court finds that it can not rule in the cases , `` that 's actually bad for *Trump* — as he 's the one who 's suing to try to block Mazars/Deutsche Bank from *voluntarily* complying with these congressional subpoenas . ''
Elizabeth Wydra , the president of the Constitutional Accountability Center , a progressive think tank , said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the central issues in the cases , it could result in an effective win for the congressional committees .
But , she said , the committees are `` plainly correct '' and the court should get to the merits of the cases , or the key legal questions .
`` The Court can and should do its job , and decide these cases on the merits — even if in this particular instance avoiding the question might have the correct result of the House obtaining the information it lawfully seeks , '' she @ @

U.S. President Donald Trump pauses while speaking during a Easter blessing event in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington D.C., U.S., on Friday, April 10, 2020.
The Supreme Court on Monday called for more arguments in two cases over whether President Donald Trump may keep his financial records shielded from congressional investigators.
The request for new briefings ahead of oral arguments in the cases next month suggests at least some justices are eyeing a potential way out of having to issue a decision in the high-profile disputes. The request was included in an unsigned order list.
The court asked the parties to the case and the Department of Justice's solicitor general to provide briefs on "whether the political question doctrine" applies to the cases. The "political question doctrine" refers to the practice in which courts sometimes leave some heated issues to the political branches.
The court's order applies to two of the three cases it is reviewing concerning the president's personal and business financial records. The cases are the first to involve Trump's personal dealings to make it to the Supreme Court, which now has a 5-4 conservative majority including two of Trump's own appointees.
The court is considering the cases as Trump is embroiled in a reelection fight against apparent Democratic nominee Joe Biden, the former two-term vice president.
The two cases involve subpoenas issued by Democratic-led House committees to Deutsche Bank and Capital One, as well as Trump's longtime accounting firm, Mazars USA, seeking his financial records.
Lower courts have upheld the subpoenas, but attorneys for Trump have asked the Supreme Court to reverse those rulings on the grounds that Congress lacked a legitimate legislative purpose when it issued them.
In a third case before the Supreme Court, Trump is seeking to get the justices to reverse a lower court order allowing Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. to obtain Trump's financial records from Mazars as part of a criminal investigation.
In that case, the political question doctrine does not apply because "there isn't an inter-branch conflict," according to Willy Jay, a partner at the law firm Goodwin Procter who has argued more than a dozen Supreme Court cases. That case is purely federal versus state, he said.
The three cases will be argued on May 12 and are set to be among the first Supreme Court cases in history to be heard via teleconference, an unprecedented health precaution taken as a result of the spreading coronavirus.
Experts are divided on whether the Supreme Court's interest in the political question doctrine stands to benefit Trump or hurt him.
Glenn Kirschner, a former federal prosecutor and a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, wrote in a post on Twitter that applying political question doctrine "would give Trump free reign."
But Steve Vladeck, a constitutional law expert who teaches at the University of Texas's law school, said that if the court finds that it cannot rule in the cases, "that's actually bad for *Trump* — as he's the one who's suing to try to block Mazars/Deutsche Bank from *voluntarily* complying with these congressional subpoenas."
Elizabeth Wydra, the president of the Constitutional Accountability Center, a progressive think tank, said in a statement that if the Supreme Court avoids the central issues in the cases, it could result in an effective win for the congressional committees.
But, she said, the committees are "plainly correct" and the court should get to the merits of the cases, or the key legal questions.
"The Court can and should do its job, and decide these cases on the merits — even if in this particular instance avoiding the question might have the correct result of the House obtaining the information it lawfully seeks," she said.
Kirschner tweet
Vladeck tweet


cnbc--2020-04-27--NJ governor says the state needs more federal assistance to avoid an 'Armageddon' scenario

Gov .
Phil Murphy said Monday that New Jersey could be headed toward an `` Armageddon '' scenario , with an inability to fund public schools and police , if it does n't receive more federal assistance due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Murphy , a Democrat , said on CNBC 's `` Squawk Box '' that New Jersey 's revenues `` have fallen off a table '' due to the coronavirus .
`` Our costs are going up serving folks who have lost their jobs , small businesses that have been crushed , folks who are in the health-care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
New Jersey officials have previously signaled that the state could begin to experience a cash crunch in four to six weeks .
Asked by CNBC 's Becky Quick whether that could mean an inability to pay teachers and police officers , for example , Murphy said , `` that 's exactly what I 'm talking about . ''
He said he hoped the federal government would ultimately approve more financial assistance to state and local governments , many of which are facing economic strain due to the pandemic , but `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 're looking at .
I do n't say that with any amount of joy . ''
Murphy highlighted a bipartisan effort from Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana to establish a $ 500 billion assistance fund for state and local governments .
The proposal builds off the $ 150 billion in direct help that was included in the $ 2 trillion CARES Act .
Menendez and Cassidy are proposing more flexibility for how states and local governments can use the funding .
`` That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' said Murphy , who has been critical of how states can spend money from the CARES Act .
Treasury Department guidance , among other things , says that states can only use CARES Act funding toward `` necessary expenditures incurred '' due to the Covid-19 outbreak .
`` For instance , your entire education system has been transformed because of Covid-19 .
Your entire public safety reality has been transformed , '' Murphy said .
`` We believe those are eligible costs that need to be addressed . ''
The Treasury Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ request for comment on Murphy 's remarks .
Murphy also criticized Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , who last week signaled support for letting states declare bankruptcy instead of receiving federal funds to cover budget shortfalls .
`` The alternative is not bankruptcy , '' Murphy said .
`` The alternative is we will gut the living daylights out of the very services that our folks now are desperately relying upon in what is the biggest health-care crisis in the history of our country . ''
CNBC requested comment from McConnell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hear back .

Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday that New Jersey could be headed toward an "Armageddon" scenario, with an inability to fund public schools and police, if it doesn't receive more federal assistance due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Murphy, a Democrat, said on CNBC's "Squawk Box" that New Jersey's revenues "have fallen off a table" due to the coronavirus.
"Our costs are going up serving folks who have lost their jobs, small businesses that have been crushed, folks who are in the health-care system, et cetera," he said.
New Jersey officials have previously signaled that the state could begin to experience a cash crunch in four to six weeks. Asked by CNBC's Becky Quick whether that could mean an inability to pay teachers and police officers, for example, Murphy said, "that's exactly what I'm talking about."
He said he hoped the federal government would ultimately approve more financial assistance to state and local governments, many of which are facing economic strain due to the pandemic, but "that's the sort of Armageddon that we're looking at. I don't say that with any amount of joy."
Murphy highlighted a bipartisan effort from Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana to establish a $500 billion assistance fund for state and local governments.
The proposal builds off the $150 billion in direct help that was included in the $2 trillion CARES Act. Menendez and Cassidy are proposing more flexibility for how states and local governments can use the funding.
"That's exactly what the doctor ordered," said Murphy, who has been critical of how states can spend money from the CARES Act.
Treasury Department guidance, among other things, says that states can only use CARES Act funding toward "necessary expenditures incurred" due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
"For instance, your entire education system has been transformed because of Covid-19. Your entire public safety reality has been transformed," Murphy said. "We believe those are eligible costs that need to be addressed."
The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on Murphy's remarks.
Murphy also criticized Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who last week signaled support for letting states declare bankruptcy instead of receiving federal funds to cover budget shortfalls.
"The alternative is not bankruptcy," Murphy said. "The alternative is we will gut the living daylights out of the very services that our folks now are desperately relying upon in what is the biggest health-care crisis in the history of our country."
McConnell's office said it had no immediate comment.


cnbc--2020-04-27--Investment firms spent millions lobbying Trump administration and Congress on coronavirus relief bil

Investment firms spent millions lobbying Trump administration and Congress on coronavirus relief bill

U.S. President Donald Trump signs H.R .
748 , the CARES Act in the Oval Office of the White House on March 27 , 2020 in Washington , DC .
Some of the world 's largest investment firms combined to spend at least $ 3 million lobbying members of the Trump administration and lawmakers on a bill that was meant to give relief to those that have taken a financial hit due to the coronavirus .
Blackstone , the Carlyle Group and SoftBank took aim at the $ 2 trillion stimulus package that was signed by President Donald Trump in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shaking the stock market and forcing millions of people out of work .
These companies and their lobbyists engaged with Treasury officials and leaders in the House and Senate , records show .
People close to two of these companies say the lobbying goals ranged from pushing for their portfolio companies to participate in the federal loan program to monitoring the legislation as it developed .
None appear to be trying to get small business loans to go directly into the private equity industry .
The discovery was made by CNBC after reviewing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these companies have ties to Trump himself , including Steve Schwarzman , CEO of private equity giant Blackstone .
Schwarzman took part in a March 24 call with Trump and prominent investors such as Third Point 's Dan Loeb , Intercontinental Exchange 's Jeffrey Sprecher and Paul Tudor Jones .
Though not all the forms say what the firms were specifically hoping to see in the bill , the move came as the American Investment Council , an organization whose members include the three firms , tried to influence the legislation on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Treasury 's $ 500 billion economic stabilization fund to provide enough liquidity to larger businesses .
The group also called on the $ 350 billion small business paycheck program to not discriminate on deciding who qualified for a relief loan , particularly if they 're backed by private equity firms .
The American Investment Council ended up spending $ 640,000 on lobbying in the first quarter alone , records show .
The Small Business Administration last week announced that private equity firms and hedge funds were not getting any of the loans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed a separate $ 484 billion stimulus bill with more than $ 300 billion of that total going to the small business loan system , which is officially known as the Paycheck Protection Program .
SoftBank , a Japan-based conglomerate run by Masayoshi Son , with large tech investments and offices in the United States , said its lobbying campaign focused on the government allowing financial technology companies to be lenders for the PPP .
The company , which has a market cap of close to $ 90 billion , spent $ 1.2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toward the bill .
A representative told CNBC that two of its portfolio companies , Kabbage and SoFi , are now participating in the wake of their efforts .
During its lobbying of the CARES Act , SoftBank spoke with those in Trump 's Executive Office of the President , which is overseen by the White House chief of staff , and those in Vice President Mike Pence 's office , the form reads .
Matt Anderson , a spokesman for Blackstone , insisted that the firm was not lobbying any of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using lobbyists as a way to mainly monitor and analyze the legislation .
`` Blackstone did not engage in any lobbying for the CARES Act loan programs , and was generally monitoring and analyzing the legislation , '' he said , and did not return follow-up questions on what beyond the monitoring of the legislation the firm was hoping to see from those it hired .
Blackstone turned to Jeff Miller , a lobbyist who bundled more than $ 2 million in the first quarter of 2020 for Trump 's campaign and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arm , Blackstone Administrative Services Partnership , spent $ 90,000 on Miller 's firm 's services , which mainly targeted the bill .
The lobbying form twice lists `` issues as they relate to COVID-19 financial relief legislation , '' as what Miller and his team was focusing on for Blackstone .
Throughout the first three months of 2020 , Miller 's office , while representing a division of Blackstone , connected with officials , from the Treasury , Department of Labor , Environmental Protection Agency and those in the Small Business Administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The private equity behemoth , which has nearly $ 540 billion in assets under management , also looked to Harbinger Strategies , which employs lobbyists with close ties to House and Senate Republicans , along with one former member of the Trump administration .
Blackstone paid them $ 470,000 in the first quarter and the form twice mentions the CARES Act as an issue the lobbyists were looking into at the time .
Carlyle Group , a firm co-founded by longtime executive David Rubenstein with more than $ 200 billion in assets under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1.2 million on lobbying in the first quarter and most of its efforts , the form shows , went toward the bill .
The document notes that `` airline and airport relief provisions in the CARES Act '' was something it targeted .
Carlyle , according to its website , has had at least two investments in the aviation businesses , including Landmark Aviation , and PrimeFlight Aviation .
The initial bill had $ 25 billion in airline payroll grants as the industry as a whole has been hammered by the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Treasury has recently requested that the largest U.S. airlines pay back 30 % of the payroll grants .

U.S. President Donald Trump signs H.R. 748, the CARES Act in the Oval Office of the White House on March 27, 2020 in Washington, DC.
Some of the world's largest investment firms combined to spend at least $3 million lobbying members of the Trump administration and lawmakers on a bill that was meant to give relief to those that have taken a financial hit due to the coronavirus.
Blackstone, the Carlyle Group and SoftBank took aim at the $2 trillion stimulus package that was signed by President Donald Trump in late March as the global pandemic was shaking the stock market and forcing millions of people out of work. These companies and their lobbyists engaged with Treasury officials and leaders in the House and Senate, records show.
People close to two of these companies say the lobbying goals ranged from pushing for their portfolio companies to participate in the federal loan program to monitoring the legislation as it developed. None appear to be trying to get small business loans to go directly into the private equity industry.
The discovery was made by CNBC after reviewing new first-quarter lobbying reports. Many leaders of these companies have ties to Trump himself, including Steve Schwarzman, CEO of private equity giant Blackstone. Schwarzman took part in a March 24 call with Trump and prominent investors such as Third Point's Dan Loeb, Intercontinental Exchange's Jeffrey Sprecher and Paul Tudor Jones.
Though not all the forms say what the firms were specifically hoping to see in the bill, the move came as the American Investment Council, an organization whose members include the three firms, tried to influence the legislation on its own. The organization pushed for the Treasury's $500 billion economic stabilization fund to provide enough liquidity to larger businesses. The group also called on the $350 billion small business paycheck program to not discriminate on deciding who qualified for a relief loan, particularly if they're backed by private equity firms. The American Investment Council ended up spending $640,000 on lobbying in the first quarter alone, records show.
The Small Business Administration last week announced that private equity firms and hedge funds were not getting any of the loans intended for small businesses. Trump recently signed a separate $484 billion stimulus bill with more than $300 billion of that total going to the small business loan system, which is officially known as the Paycheck Protection Program.
SoftBank, a Japan-based conglomerate run by Masayoshi Son, with large tech investments and offices in the United States, said its lobbying campaign focused on the government allowing financial technology companies to be lenders for the PPP. The company, which has a market cap of close to $90 billion, spent $1.2 million on lobbying that in part went toward the bill. A representative told CNBC that two of its portfolio companies, Kabbage and SoFi, are now participating in the wake of their efforts.
During its lobbying of the CARES Act, SoftBank spoke with those in Trump's Executive Office of the President, which is overseen by the White House chief of staff, and those in Vice President Mike Pence's office, the form reads.
Matt Anderson, a spokesman for Blackstone, insisted that the firm was not lobbying any of the bill's loan programs and was instead using lobbyists as a way to mainly monitor and analyze the legislation.
"Blackstone did not engage in any lobbying for the CARES Act loan programs, and was generally monitoring and analyzing the legislation," he said, and did not return follow-up questions on what beyond the monitoring of the legislation the firm was hoping to see from those it hired.
Blackstone turned to Jeff Miller, a lobbyist who bundled more than $2 million in the first quarter of 2020 for Trump's campaign and the Republican National Committee. Their administrative services arm, Blackstone Administrative Services Partnership, spent $90,000 on Miller's firm's services, which mainly targeted the bill.
The lobbying form twice lists "issues as they relate to COVID-19 financial relief legislation," as what Miller and his team was focusing on for Blackstone. Throughout the first three months of 2020, Miller's office, while representing a division of Blackstone, connected with officials, from the Treasury, Department of Labor, Environmental Protection Agency and those in the Small Business Administration, the firm's form said.
The private equity behemoth, which has nearly $540 billion in assets under management, also looked to Harbinger Strategies, which employs lobbyists with close ties to House and Senate Republicans, along with one former member of the Trump administration. Blackstone paid them $470,000 in the first quarter and the form twice mentions the CARES Act as an issue the lobbyists were looking into at the time.
Carlyle Group, a firm co-founded by longtime executive David Rubenstein with more than $200 billion in assets under management going into 2020, spent $1.2 million on lobbying in the first quarter and most of its efforts, the form shows, went toward the bill. The document notes that "airline and airport relief provisions in the CARES Act" was something it targeted.
Carlyle, according to its website, has had at least two investments in the aviation businesses, including Landmark Aviation, and PrimeFlight Aviation. The initial bill had $25 billion in airline payroll grants as the industry as a whole has been hammered by the coronavirus pandemic.
However, CNBC has reported that the Treasury has recently requested that the largest U.S. airlines pay back 30% of the payroll grants.
A spokeswoman for Carlyle declined to comment.


cnbc--2020-04-27--Trump deletes 'Noble Prizes' tweets as he struggles with coronavirus message

President Donald Trump deleted a series of bitter tweets attacking journalists from The New York Times and other reporters over their coverage of his and the White House 's overall response to the coronavirus .
The deleted tweets – in which Trump complained about reports of him `` angrily eating a hamberger '' and called upon the `` Noble Committee '' to reclaim the `` Noble Prizes '' given to journalists – offer the latest example of his struggle to keep a tight hold on his administration 's message during the pandemic .
One of his most recent , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he speculated at a White House press briefing whether injecting disinfectants can help to treat the coronavirus .
He claimed the next day that he was being `` sarcastic '' when he asked about `` a way we can do something like that by injection inside , or almost a cleaning . ''
The White House had accused the press of taking his comments out of context , noting Trump has `` repeatedly said '' Americans should consult their doctors about coronavirus treatment .
Reckitt Benckiser , the maker of household disinfectant brand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to inject or consume the cleaning product following Trump 's remarks .
The president has put a spotlight on himself amid the outbreak , taking a starring role in the near-daily press briefings on the virus at the White House briefing room .
But he has continued to lash out at media figures , in person and on social media , over coverage he dislikes .
On Sunday , his target was The New York Times .
`` I work from early in the morning until late at night , have n't left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ except to launch Hospital Ship Comfort ) in order to take care of Trade Deals , Military Rebuilding etc.
, '' Trump wrote in a since-deleted pair of tweets , which have been recovered by various online services .
`` And then I read a phony story in the failing @ nytimes about my work schedule and eating habits , written by a third rate reporter who knows nothing about me , '' Trump said .
`` I will often be in the Oval Office late into the night & read & see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & Diet Coke in my bedroom .
People with me are always stunned .
Anything to demean ! ''
he said .
The White House did not respond to CNBC 's inquiry about why the president deleted the tweets .
He later retweeted the tweets , correcting the misspelling of `` hamburger . ''
Trump appeared to be responding to the newspaper 's report published Thursday , describing him as a `` sour president '' who is increasingly isolated , worried and frustrated about his portrayal in the media .
Trump has experienced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters who say that his lengthy , freewheeling performances at the daily press briefings are doing more harm than good , the Times reported .
Recent polls show Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden , the apparent Democratic nominee in 2020 , neck and neck in six key battleground states crucial for Trump 's reelection .
The report did not say that Trump 's recent habits include eating hamburgers from his bedroom , but did say that the president will watch television after the briefings with aides in his dining room , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fries and Diet Coke — is readily available . ''
White House staffers appeared to push back on the Times ' portrayal .
They told the New York Post on Sunday that Trump 's schedule is so busy that he often skips lunch .
Annie Karni , one of the journalists on the Times ' report , tweeted in response to the Post that her story did not accuse the Trump of laziness , but rather of being consumed by media coverage .
Karni , herself a former New York Post reporter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emphasize Trump 's around-the-clock schedule would highlight the fact that the president would hold working lunches with cabinet officials .
Later Sunday , in a separate deleted Twitter thread , Trump attacked `` all of the 'reporters ' who have received Noble Prizes for their work on Russia , Russia , Russia , only to have been proven totally wrong ( and , in fact , it was the other side who committed the crimes ) . ''
The president asked when those reporters will `` be turning back their cherished 'Nobles ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the REAL REPORTERS & JOURNALISTS who got it right . ''
`` When will the Noble Committee DEMAND the Prizes back , especially since they were gotten under fraud ?
The reporters and Lamestream Media knew the truth all along , '' Trump wrote .
`` Lawsuits should be brought against all , including the Fake News Organizations , to rectify this terrible injustice .
For all of the great lawyers out there , do we have any takers ?
When will the Noble Committee Act ?
Better be fast ! ''
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misspelled `` Nobel Prizes , '' which are awarded annually for outstanding contributions in several categories .
Rather , the president again said he was being sarcastic .
Despite the president 's reported resistance to willingly give up a captive audience of millions , he may soon take a step back from the briefings .
He took no questions at the previous briefing Friday , which at 22 minutes marked one of the shortest pressers yet for the White House coronavirus task force .
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said earlier Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attend the task force 's next briefing , which was originally scheduled to be held at 5 p.m .
ET .
McEnany tweeted that Trump will brief the nation about `` additional testing guidance and other announcements about safely opening up America again '' during a press conference later Monday .
Earlier Monday morning , Trump fired off more anti-media tweets , describing the `` Lamestream '' media as `` THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE ! ''
There are more confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the United States than in any other country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 54,000 deaths have been confirmed , according to data from Johns Hopkins University .
The outbreak , which originated near the city of Wuhan in China 's Hubei province , has tanked the U.S. economy , casting a shadow over Trump 's most-used argument for his reelection in November .

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for a Coronavirus Task Force news conference at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, April 2, 2020. Kevin Dietsch | Bloomberg | Getty Images
President Donald Trump deleted a series of bitter tweets attacking journalists from The New York Times and other reporters over their coverage of his and the White House's overall response to the coronavirus. The deleted tweets – in which Trump complained about reports of him "angrily eating a hamberger" and called upon the "Noble Committee" to reclaim the "Noble Prizes" given to journalists – offer the latest example of his struggle to keep a tight hold on his administration's message during the pandemic. One of his most recent, and most-criticized, gaffes came Thursday, when he speculated at a White House press briefing whether injecting disinfectants can help to treat the coronavirus. He claimed the next day that he was being "sarcastic" when he asked about "a way we can do something like that by injection inside, or almost a cleaning." The White House had accused the press of taking his comments out of context, noting Trump has "repeatedly said" Americans should consult their doctors about coronavirus treatment. Reckitt Benckiser, the maker of household disinfectant brand Lysol, urged Americans not to attempt to inject or consume the cleaning product following Trump's remarks.
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The president has put a spotlight on himself amid the outbreak, taking a starring role in the near-daily press briefings on the virus at the White House briefing room. But he has continued to lash out at media figures, in person and on social media, over coverage he dislikes.
'Hamberger' with a side of gripes
On Sunday, his target was The New York Times. "I work from early in the morning until late at night, haven't left the White House in many months (except to launch Hospital Ship Comfort) in order to take care of Trade Deals, Military Rebuilding etc.," Trump wrote in a since-deleted pair of tweets, which have been recovered by various online services. "And then I read a phony story in the failing @nytimes about my work schedule and eating habits, written by a third rate reporter who knows nothing about me," Trump said. "I will often be in the Oval Office late into the night & read & see that I am angrily eating a hamberger & Diet Coke in my bedroom. People with me are always stunned. Anything to demean!" he said. The White House did not respond to CNBC's inquiry about why the president deleted the tweets. He later retweeted the tweets, correcting the misspelling of "hamburger." TWEETS Trump appeared to be responding to the newspaper's report published Thursday, describing him as a "sour president" who is increasingly isolated, worried and frustrated about his portrayal in the media. Trump has experienced a backlash even among his own Republican supporters who say that his lengthy, freewheeling performances at the daily press briefings are doing more harm than good, the Times reported. Recent polls show Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, the apparent Democratic nominee in 2020, neck and neck in six key battleground states crucial for Trump's reelection. The report did not say that Trump's recent habits include eating hamburgers from his bedroom, but did say that the president will watch television after the briefings with aides in his dining room, where "comfort food — including French fries and Diet Coke — is readily available." White House staffers appeared to push back on the Times' portrayal. They told the New York Post on Sunday that Trump's schedule is so busy that he often skips lunch. Annie Karni, one of the journalists on the Times' report, tweeted in response to the Post that her story did not accuse the Trump of laziness, but rather of being consumed by media coverage. Karni, herself a former New York Post reporter, also noted that officials who wanted to emphasize Trump's around-the-clock schedule would highlight the fact that the president would hold working lunches with cabinet officials.
A 'Noble' error


cnbc--2020-04-27--Supreme Court declines to rule on its first Second Amendment case in nearly a decade

A Supreme Court Police officer walks up the steps at the U.S. Supreme Court on March 16 , 2020 in Washington , DC .
The Supreme Court said Monday that it will not issue a ruling in a closely watched case over a New York gun regulation that barred transport of handguns outside the city , including to second homes and firing ranges .
In an unsigned opinion , the court said that the rollback of the rule by city and state officials after the court agreed to hear the case effectively ended the dispute without the justices needing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amendment case to reach the top court in nearly a decade .
The justices have not waded into the highly charged debate over gun rights since expanding the reach of the Second Amendment in a pair of cases in 2008 and 2010 .
Conservatives were hoping the court , which has a new 5-4 conservative majority , would use the New York case to limit regulations on firearms further .
But the outcome of the case was telegraphed in December during oral arguments , when the court spent little time addressing the underlying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regulation .
Justice Brett Kavanaugh , a President Donald Trump appointee who 's known to have an expansive view of gun rights , wrote separately to say he agreed with the court 's handling of the `` procedural issues '' raised by the case , but urged his colleagues to hear another Second Amendment case `` soon . ''
Three of the court 's Republican appointees , Justices Samuel Alito , Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas , said they would not have dismissed the case .
Alito , in an opinion joined by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote that by declining to rule in the case the court allowed itself to be `` manipulated . ''
While New York City had previously defended its gun regulation in court , once the Supreme Court agreed to review it , both city and state `` sprang into action to prevent us from deciding this case , '' Alito , a George W. Bush appointee , wrote .
He added the the city 's easing of the regulation did not necessarily grant the gun owners who brought the case all the relief that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new measure still requires trips outside the city to be direct .
`` What about a stop to buy groceries just before coming home ?
Or a stop to pick up a friend who also wants to practice at a range outside the City ?
Or a quick visit to a sick relative or friend who lives near a range ? ''
Alito wrote .
The attorney for the gun owners , Paul Clement , had said during arguments that his clients could still be prosecuted for a simple coffee stop under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dearing , who argued on behalf of New York , said there would be no such prosecutions .
The court 's unsigned opinion explicitly declined to address controversies relating to the `` new rule '' over coffee stops and bathroom breaks .
The opinion also did not engage with the argument raised by the gun owners that they could seek financial damages based on the old rule , instead noting that those new issues would have to be raised first in the lower courts .
The case is New York State Rifle & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , No .
18-280 .

A Supreme Court Police officer walks up the steps at the U.S. Supreme Court on March 16, 2020 in Washington, DC.
The Supreme Court said Monday that it will not issue a ruling in a closely watched case over a New York gun regulation that barred transport of handguns outside the city, including to second homes and firing ranges.
In an unsigned opinion, the court said that the rollback of the rule by city and state officials after the court agreed to hear the case effectively ended the dispute without the justices needing to intervene.
It was the first Second Amendment case to reach the top court in nearly a decade. The justices have not waded into the highly charged debate over gun rights since expanding the reach of the Second Amendment in a pair of cases in 2008 and 2010.
Conservatives were hoping the court, which has a new 5-4 conservative majority, would use the New York case to limit regulations on firearms further. But the outcome of the case was telegraphed in December during oral arguments, when the court spent little time addressing the underlying constitutional questions raised by the New York regulation.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a President Donald Trump appointee who's known to have an expansive view of gun rights, wrote separately to say he agreed with the court's handling of the "procedural issues" raised by the case, but urged his colleagues to hear another Second Amendment case "soon."
Three of the court's Republican appointees, Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas, said they would not have dismissed the case. Alito, in an opinion joined by Gorsuch and in part by Thomas, wrote that by declining to rule in the case the court allowed itself to be "manipulated."
While New York City had previously defended its gun regulation in court, once the Supreme Court agreed to review it, both city and state "sprang into action to prevent us from deciding this case," Alito, a George W. Bush appointee, wrote.
He added the the city's easing of the regulation did not necessarily grant the gun owners who brought the case all the relief that they had sought. He said the new measure still requires trips outside the city to be direct.
"What about a stop to buy groceries just before coming home? Or a stop to pick up a friend who also wants to practice at a range outside the City? Or a quick visit to a sick relative or friend who lives near a range?" Alito wrote.
Alito's comments echoed lines of argument raised in December.
The attorney for the gun owners, Paul Clement, had said during arguments that his clients could still be prosecuted for a simple coffee stop under the city's new rule. But Richard Dearing, who argued on behalf of New York, said there would be no such prosecutions.
The court's unsigned opinion explicitly declined to address controversies relating to the "new rule" over coffee stops and bathroom breaks.
The opinion also did not engage with the argument raised by the gun owners that they could seek financial damages based on the old rule, instead noting that those new issues would have to be raised first in the lower courts.
The case is New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. City of New York, No. 18-280.


cnbc--2020-04-27--Klobuchar, 21 other senators pressure Trump administration to ensure smallest businesses get loans

Sen. Amy Klobuchar ( D-MN ) speaks during a campaign rally at the Altria Theatre on February 29 , 2020 in Richmond , Virginia .
`` Every loan that provides a windfall for an applicant who does not truly need it results in one fewer loan made to a struggling small business owner whose employees could be truly helped by this funding , '' the senators wrote .
The senators ' outreach follows reports that some loans from the first round of $ 350 billion in funding for the Paycheck Protection Program , designed to keep employees on small business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went to hedge funds and public companies .
In a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Small Business Administrator Jovita Carranza , the lawmakers urged the administration to publicly disclose the measures it will put in place to make sure loans are not `` unjustly enriching '' companies in less dire financial need .
Sen. Amy Klobuchar and 21 other senators on Monday urged the Trump administration to take more steps to ensure the small businesses devastated most during the coronavirus pandemic do not get shut out of a key government lifeline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the day it planned to start accepting applications for small business relief after a pause when funding lapsed .
Last week , Congress passed a law with $ 310 billion in new money for the program , including $ 60 billion set aside specifically for small lenders .
The group who signed on to the letter includes five former 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls : Klobuchar of Minnesota and Sens .
Kirsten Gillibrand of New York , Kamala Harris of California , Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts .
Klobuchar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circulated in rumors about who apparent Democratic nominee Joe Biden could choose as his running mate in November 's election .
All the senators who signed the letter are Democrats except for Sanders and Angus King of Maine , two independents who caucus with Democrats .
Last week , the SBA issued new guidance that aims to make it harder for publicly traded companies to get loans under the small business program .
It also said hedge funds and private equity firms would be ineligible for relief .
In their letter Monday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still rely on the `` good faith '' of applicants .
The lawmakers asked the Trump administration which criteria it would look at — other than an applicant being a large public company , hedge fund or private equity firm — to determine if companies are unfairly taking advantage of the program .
They also questioned whether the administration would commit to transparency regarding who gets money , and take immediate action if it finds out a company not in dire need of help gets a loan .
Spokespeople for the Treasury Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respond to requests to comment on the letter .

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) speaks during a campaign rally at the Altria Theatre on February 29, 2020 in Richmond, Virginia.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar and 21 other senators on Monday urged the Trump administration to take more steps to ensure the small businesses devastated most during the coronavirus pandemic do not get shut out of a key government lifeline.
In a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Small Business Administrator Jovita Carranza, the lawmakers urged the administration to publicly disclose the measures it will put in place to make sure loans are not "unjustly enriching" companies in less dire financial need.
The senators' outreach follows reports that some loans from the first round of $350 billion in funding for the Paycheck Protection Program, designed to keep employees on small business payrolls while the firms are shuttered, went to hedge funds and public companies.
"Every loan that provides a windfall for an applicant who does not truly need it results in one fewer loan made to a struggling small business owner whose employees could be truly helped by this funding," the senators wrote.


cnbc--2020-04-25--Trump pulls punches and clings to his China trade deal as backlash against Beijing grows

WASHINGTON — With six months before the November election and America gripped by its worst disaster since 9/11 , President Donald Trump 's reelection effort is ready to bash Beijing .
But Trump himself has yet to embrace this plan , by all indications .
For instance , his campaign team does not appear to have purchased airtime yet for a China-centric ad it created earlier this month .
Trump still appears convinced he can win reelection over apparent Democratic nominee Joe Biden by running on his leadership over the past three years , including during the coronavirus pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economy will return to pre-coronavirus strength after the outbreak subsides , and he will be credited with its recovery .
For this narrative to work , Trump needs China to be a symbol of his victory in the trade wars that he promised voters in 2016 that he would fight and win .
Yet outside the world of campaign messaging , in the real world where the U.S. economy shows no signs of recovery and more than 40,000 Americans have died in the past three months , both strategies — China as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — carry risks for the country .
`` By tying his own political fortunes so tightly to this one deal , Trump has managed to box himself in on China '' said Doug Heye , a veteran GOP strategist with marketing and communications firm Craft Media .
`` And the next time he needs to hold China accountable for what they 've done , like right now , he wo n't be able to . ''
Zeroing in on China was n't the original plan for the campaign .
In January , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strength of a booming economy and a pledge to keep fighting the `` deep state '' government bureaucracy .
But that all ended as soon as the coronavirus pandemic gained a foothold in the United States .
Since then , Trump 's reelection team has struggled to come up with a post-coronavirus message that resonates with voters .
The task became more urgent in recent days , as polls showed Trump 's public approval slipping again after a brief `` rally-round-the-flag '' bump last month .
Driving this drop in poll numbers is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was too slow to respond to the pandemic when it first appeared in China in December .
Yet as scrutiny of Trump 's early response has increased in recent weeks , serious questions have also arisen about China , and why authorities there withheld early reports of a new virus in the city of Wuhan .
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said this week that China 's government `` has been nothing but open , transparent and responsible '' in sharing information about the outbreak since it began .
American public approval of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a recent Pew survey , the percentage of Americans who hold an unfavorable opinion of China more than doubled in March , from 30 % to 66 % .
The survey also found that 62 % of Americans consider China 's power and influence to be `` a major threat '' to the United States .
Likewise , a Gallup poll released in March revealed that favorable views of China were at an all-time low among U.S. adults .
China 's mistakes presented Trump 's campaign and its related groups with an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blame for America 's sky-high infection rates away from Trump and his failure to adequately prepare the U.S. , and onto China and its failure to communicate with the world .
The new marching orders swept through GOP messaging channels seemingly overnight : After months of creating ads with names like `` Stronger '' and `` Keep it Up , '' on April 9 , the Trump campaign released `` Biden stands up for China . ''
Within days , a web of pro-Trump campaign committees , outside groups and surrogates had all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Attack China .
The Trump campaign 's ad featured old clips of the Democratic former vice president and the tagline : `` Biden stands up for China while China cripples America . ''
The campaign also sent an email asking donors to `` give President Trump the necessary funds to hold China accountable . ''
China , it said , has been `` lying and doing everything they can to cover up the spread of Covid-19 . ''
Last week , the leading pro-Trump super PAC America First Action released three new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like making `` China great . ''
`` To stop China , you have to stop Joe Biden , '' says a somber narrator in one ad .
America First says it will spend $ 10 million to run the ads in the swing states of Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin .
The email and the ads were accompanied by media appearances from top officials in the White House and the Trump campaign .
Everyone was on the same message .
But while everyone around him was bashing China , Trump saw his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his overall plan to help the U.S. economy recover from the impact of coronavirus .
`` Approximately $ 50 billion is expected to be with our farmers , '' Trump said April 7 , referring to China 's obligation to purchase U.S. agricultural products under the deal .
`` That should have a huge impact on our farmers — a tremendous impact on our farmers .
But we 're watching it very closely . ''
Purely as a campaign theme , bashing China tends to be effective for Republicans , GOP strategist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you can never be anti-China enough . ''
`` Trump 's voters also love that he fights , '' Heye added , and they do n't mind his trade wars .
`` They respect that he 's trying something different '' after decades of both parties embracing free trade .
Attacking China over trade is also part of a long political tradition in the United States , said Alexandra Guisinger , a political science professor at Temple University and an expert in trade .
`` The message that there is a threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American people rather often , '' she said , and even more so during economic downturns .
`` In general , the protectionist campaign seems to be a strategy that works , '' she said .
`` In this particular year , in this economy , my research shows that 's a message that voters will respond to . ''
Kelly Sadler , a spokeswoman for America First Action , also pointed to China 's shrinking popularity with U.S. voters .
`` These opinions will not fade this year , as we work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fallout of the coronavirus , '' she said in an email to CNBC .
If Trump were to go on the attack against Beijing right now , the way his reelection team has proposed , the consequences could reverberate far beyond the campaign trail .
`` Trump 's campaign is taking a real risk if it intends to make China into an election-year boogeyman , '' said Jessica Chen Weiss , a professor of government at Cornell University and an expert in China 's domestic politics .
`` The Chinese leadership is savvy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy , but right now we 're in an especially delicate moment , '' she said , `` as party leaders make decisions about what to do next . ''
A Trump campaign spokesman did not respond to questions from CNBC about its strategy .
As long as American towns and cities are still reporting new Covid-19 outbreaks , the country will continue to depend upon China to supply its overloaded health system .
During his daily coronavirus briefings , Trump comes across as reluctant to directly attack China over the pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on promises to punish China for a host of sins , it feels like there 's something missing .
And it 's not as though Trump is afraid that reporters will ask him about his long , public record of praising China 's leadership for its handling of coronavirus .
Reporters do press him , and the president has no problem denying , rejecting and ignoring his past statements .
Trump points out that he barred entry to travelers from China in late January , one of his first significant policy steps to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ short of suggesting that China is a clear and present danger to the United States .
On April 17 , Trump left open the possibility that China 's alleged reporting failures and cover-ups were innocent `` mistakes , '' a term U.S. intelligence officials and diplomats rarely use .
`` If it was a mistake : a mistake is a mistake , '' Trump said .
`` But if [ China ] were knowingly responsible , yeah , then there should be consequences . ''
One reason Trump has n't embraced the narrative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that he has his own personal story of his presidency .
And in that narrative , China is not America 's greatest threat precisely anymore because of what Trump has done in office .
Instead , China is a defeated foe , a former adversary turned partner that is now going to pay `` $ 250 billion '' in recognition of Trump 's victory on the battlefield of global trade .
This new China was going to be a pillar of Trump 's reelection narrative before coronavirus , a symbol of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claimed were taking advantage of the United States .
If China was still our gravest threat today , as it was in 2016 , it would mean that Trump had not defeated it .
At one of his last campaign rallies before he suspended them , in Des Moines in late January , Trump told supporters the China trade deal he had signed two weeks earlier was going to make them all rich .
`` Enjoy your life .
You 're going to make a lot of money .
Because they respect us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We have never had a better relationship with China than we do right now .
It 's a beautiful story .
They respect us .
The whole world respects us now , '' Trump said .
In some ways , Trump was n't exaggerating .
The deal was a political triumph for the president , and it fulfilled a major 2016 campaign promise he had made to voters .
`` It is historic that tariffs did succeed , '' Jim Cramer , host of CNBC 's `` Mad Money , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supposed to work .
The Chinese were supposed to be able to get around them .
It did n't happen . ''
And today , four months later , the deal is actually being implemented , mostly with the U.S. and China adjusting import/export rules for things like beef and nectarines .
During these same four months , the coronavirus pandemic that originated in China has ripped through every state in the union , infected more than 880,000 people , killed more Americans than 15 9/11 attacks combined and triggered an unparalleled economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involve China .
But one is measured in tangerines , and the other in mass deaths .
Still , Trump insists on weaving the two together when he talks about China .
And in Trump 's speeches , China 's obligation to adhere to his trade deal and China 's obligation to alert the world about coronavirus are often indistinguishable .
Earlier this month , Trump suggested that U.S. collaboration with China on fighting the pandemic was contingent on Beijing honoring his trade deal .
`` We just signed a trade deal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question about collaboration .
`` It 's the biggest deal probably ever made .
And I hope they 're going to honor that trade deal .
If they do n't honor the trade deal , then I 'll tell you a different answer , but I think they will , '' Trump said .
`` Do you want to walk back the time when you praised China in January for being transparent about the coronavirus ? ''
a reporter asked Trump at a recent briefing .
`` The trade deal we have , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion in purchases , '' Trump said .
`` Let 's see if they do that .
Now , if they do n't produce [ the $ 250 billion ] , or if we find out bad things [ about China 's early coronavirus response ] , we 're not going to be happy . ''
The message is clear — China 's willingness to maintain its trade commitments and its culpability for not doing more to stop the deadly pandemic will be judged together and carry the same weight with Trump .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump 's concerns about China backing out of the trade deal are factoring into his response to the coronavirus underscores how much Trump `` has managed to box himself in on China . ''
`` After slapping everyone with tariffs for three years and forcing countries like China into trade deals they did n't want , Trump has created a situation where now he needs to appease China , '' said Heye , `` or else he risks Beijing kicking the stool out from under one of his core issues . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the only ones driving his apparent reluctance to cross Beijing : His financial interests could also be on the line .
Trump 's real estate and resort company has also had myriad financial ties to China , including financing by the state-controlled Bank of China for one of Trump 's marquee properties , a 43-story building on the Avenue of the Americas in New York City , in which Trump owns a 30 % stake .
The loan for the property comes due in 2022 , according to a Politico report Friday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bank of China said it securitized and sold the debt in 2012 .
But the bank was still listed as a creditor on the property in a 2017 filing with the City of New York , and in a database of securitized mortgages .
Bank of China said this was due to a `` technical error . ''
In response , some members of the Trump administration are taking a stance against China that leaves no room for the president 's detente , especially Secretary of State Mike Pompeo .
Speaking to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off an extensive list of what he said China had done wrong .
`` China covered up how dangerous the disease is .
It did n't report sustained human-to-human transmission for a month until it was in every province inside of China .
It censored those who tried to warn the world , it ordered a halt to testing of new samples , and it destroyed existing samples , '' said Pompeo .
For Trump , however , the so-called invisible enemy of the virus is still wrapped up with the trade deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that could be changing .
Asked about the China deal on Tuesday , Trump let slip a whisper of his 2016 campaign message .
`` Great things were happening [ with China ] except , all of a sudden , out of nowhere , came the invisible enemy .
And we think we know where it came from , and we 'll be talking about that probably a lot , '' Trump said .
`` There 's been nobody tougher than me on China . ''
Trump admitted he has no guarantee that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal because of the pandemic .
`` But if that happens , '' he said , `` we 'll do a termination and we 'll do what I can do better than anybody . ''

President Donald Trump, left, and Xi Jinping, China's president, shake hands during a news conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017. Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images
WASHINGTON — With six months before the November election and America gripped by its worst disaster since 9/11, President Donald Trump's reelection effort is ready to bash Beijing. But Trump himself has yet to embrace this plan, by all indications. For instance, his campaign team does not appear to have purchased airtime yet for a China-centric ad it created earlier this month. Trump still appears convinced he can win reelection over apparent Democratic nominee Joe Biden by running on his leadership over the past three years, including during the coronavirus pandemic. Trump has made it clear he believes the economy will return to pre-coronavirus strength after the outbreak subsides, and he will be credited with its recovery. For this narrative to work, Trump needs China to be a symbol of his victory in the trade wars that he promised voters in 2016 that he would fight and win. Yet outside the world of campaign messaging, in the real world where the U.S. economy shows no signs of recovery and more than 40,000 Americans have died in the past three months, both strategies — China as a target and China as a trophy — carry risks for the country. "By tying his own political fortunes so tightly to this one deal, Trump has managed to box himself in on China" said Doug Heye, a veteran GOP strategist with marketing and communications firm Craft Media. "And the next time he needs to hold China accountable for what they've done, like right now, he won't be able to."
Zeroing in on China wasn't the original plan for the campaign. In January, Trump planned to run for reelection on the strength of a booming economy and a pledge to keep fighting the "deep state" government bureaucracy. But that all ended as soon as the coronavirus pandemic gained a foothold in the United States. Since then, Trump's reelection team has struggled to come up with a post-coronavirus message that resonates with voters. The task became more urgent in recent days, as polls showed Trump's public approval slipping again after a brief "rally-round-the-flag" bump last month. Driving this drop in poll numbers is a growing consensus among voters that Trump was too slow to respond to the pandemic when it first appeared in China in December. Yet as scrutiny of Trump's early response has increased in recent weeks, serious questions have also arisen about China, and why authorities there withheld early reports of a new virus in the city of Wuhan. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said this week that China's government "has been nothing but open, transparent and responsible" in sharing information about the outbreak since it began. American public approval of China is also falling sharply. According to a recent Pew survey, the percentage of Americans who hold an unfavorable opinion of China more than doubled in March, from 30% to 66%. The survey also found that 62% of Americans consider China's power and influence to be "a major threat" to the United States. Likewise, a Gallup poll released in March revealed that favorable views of China were at an all-time low among U.S. adults. China's mistakes presented Trump's campaign and its related groups with an opportunity: a chance to shift the blame for America's sky-high infection rates away from Trump and his failure to adequately prepare the U.S., and onto China and its failure to communicate with the world.
China as the target
The new marching orders swept through GOP messaging channels seemingly overnight: After months of creating ads with names like "Stronger" and "Keep it Up," on April 9, the Trump campaign released "Biden stands up for China." Within days, a web of pro-Trump campaign committees, outside groups and surrogates had all found their way to the same message: Attack China. The Trump campaign's ad featured old clips of the Democratic former vice president and the tagline: "Biden stands up for China while China cripples America." The campaign also sent an email asking donors to "give President Trump the necessary funds to hold China accountable." China, it said, has been "lying and doing everything they can to cover up the spread of Covid-19." Last week, the leading pro-Trump super PAC America First Action released three new TV ads that accused Biden of things like making "China great." "To stop China, you have to stop Joe Biden," says a somber narrator in one ad. America First says it will spend $10 million to run the ads in the swing states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The email and the ads were accompanied by media appearances from top officials in the White House and the Trump campaign. Everyone was on the same message. But while everyone around him was bashing China, Trump saw his China trade deal as a key part of his overall plan to help the U.S. economy recover from the impact of coronavirus. "Approximately $50 billion is expected to be with our farmers," Trump said April 7, referring to China's obligation to purchase U.S. agricultural products under the deal. "That should have a huge impact on our farmers — a tremendous impact on our farmers. But we're watching it very closely." Purely as a campaign theme, bashing China tends to be effective for Republicans, GOP strategist Heye said. "In Republican politics, you can never be anti-China enough."
President Donald Trump delivers remarks at a Keep America Great Rally at the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, November 4, 2019. Yuri Gripas | Reuters
"Trump's voters also love that he fights," Heye added, and they don't mind his trade wars. "They respect that he's trying something different" after decades of both parties embracing free trade. Attacking China over trade is also part of a long political tradition in the United States, said Alexandra Guisinger, a political science professor at Temple University and an expert in trade. "The message that there is a threat coming from Asia is handed to the American people rather often," she said, and even more so during economic downturns. "In general, the protectionist campaign seems to be a strategy that works," she said. "In this particular year, in this economy, my research shows that's a message that voters will respond to." Kelly Sadler, a spokeswoman for America First Action, also pointed to China's shrinking popularity with U.S. voters. "These opinions will not fade this year, as we work to recover from the economic and health fallout of the coronavirus," she said in an email to CNBC.
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Real world risks
If Trump were to go on the attack against Beijing right now, the way his reelection team has proposed, the consequences could reverberate far beyond the campaign trail. "Trump's campaign is taking a real risk if it intends to make China into an election-year boogeyman," said Jessica Chen Weiss, a professor of government at Cornell University and an expert in China's domestic politics. "The Chinese leadership is savvy enough to understand that campaigning isn't policy, but right now we're in an especially delicate moment," she said, "as party leaders make decisions about what to do next." A Trump campaign spokesman did not respond to questions from CNBC about its strategy. As long as American towns and cities are still reporting new Covid-19 outbreaks, the country will continue to depend upon China to supply its overloaded health system.
Health workers wheel a body from the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters
"Now, more than ever, the U.S. economy needs China's support to provide goods to the retail market, purchase American products, deliver medical supplies and protective equipment, and soon, to share the vaccine that's being developed there," said Weiss. She also noted that promises to "hold China accountable" for the pandemic have no basis in the real world. "There is no accountability mechanism and no modern reparations system for pandemics," Weiss said. Nonetheless, threats like these do have a real-world impact: They infuriate Beijing.
China as Trump's trophy
During his daily coronavirus briefings, Trump comes across as reluctant to directly attack China over the pandemic. For a politician who built his brand on promises to punish China for a host of sins, it feels like there's something missing. And it's not as though Trump is afraid that reporters will ask him about his long, public record of praising China's leadership for its handling of coronavirus. Reporters do press him, and the president has no problem denying, rejecting and ignoring his past statements. Trump points out that he barred entry to travelers from China in late January, one of his first significant policy steps to combat coronavirus. But he stops well short of suggesting that China is a clear and present danger to the United States. On April 17, Trump left open the possibility that China's alleged reporting failures and cover-ups were innocent "mistakes," a term U.S. intelligence officials and diplomats rarely use. "If it was a mistake: a mistake is a mistake," Trump said. "But if [China] were knowingly responsible, yeah, then there should be consequences." One reason Trump hasn't embraced the narrative that China is America's greatest threat is that he has his own personal story of his presidency. And in that narrative, China is not America's greatest threat precisely anymore because of what Trump has done in office. Instead, China is a defeated foe, a former adversary turned partner that is now going to pay "$250 billion" in recognition of Trump's victory on the battlefield of global trade. This new China was going to be a pillar of Trump's reelection narrative before coronavirus, a symbol of his victory over all the countries that he claimed were taking advantage of the United States. If China was still our gravest threat today, as it was in 2016, it would mean that Trump had not defeated it. At one of his last campaign rallies before he suspended them, in Des Moines in late January, Trump told supporters the China trade deal he had signed two weeks earlier was going to make them all rich. "Enjoy your life. You're going to make a lot of money. Because they respect us now, they didn't respect us. We have never had a better relationship with China than we do right now. It's a beautiful story. They respect us. The whole world respects us now," Trump said. In some ways, Trump wasn't exaggerating. The deal was a political triumph for the president, and it fulfilled a major 2016 campaign promise he had made to voters. "It is historic that tariffs did succeed," Jim Cramer, host of CNBC's "Mad Money," said in January. "Tariffs were not supposed to work. The Chinese were supposed to be able to get around them. It didn't happen." And today, four months later, the deal is actually being implemented, mostly with the U.S. and China adjusting import/export rules for things like beef and nectarines.
President Donald Trump holds the trade agreement with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He in the East Room at the White House on Wednesday, Jan 15, 2020. Jabin Botsford | The Washington Post | Getty Images
During these same four months, the coronavirus pandemic that originated in China has ripped through every state in the union, infected more than 880,000 people, killed more Americans than 15 9/11 attacks combined and triggered an unparalleled economic crisis around the world. Both events involve China. But one is measured in tangerines, and the other in mass deaths. Still, Trump insists on weaving the two together when he talks about China. And in Trump's speeches, China's obligation to adhere to his trade deal and China's obligation to alert the world about coronavirus are often indistinguishable. Earlier this month, Trump suggested that U.S. collaboration with China on fighting the pandemic was contingent on Beijing honoring his trade deal. "We just signed a trade deal," Trump said in response to a question about collaboration. "It's the biggest deal probably ever made. And I hope they're going to honor that trade deal. If they don't honor the trade deal, then I'll tell you a different answer, but I think they will," Trump said. "Do you want to walk back the time when you praised China in January for being transparent about the coronavirus?" a reporter asked Trump at a recent briefing. "The trade deal we have, they have to give us $250 billion in purchases," Trump said. "Let's see if they do that. Now, if they don't produce [the $250 billion], or if we find out bad things [about China's early coronavirus response], we're not going to be happy." The message is clear — China's willingness to maintain its trade commitments and its culpability for not doing more to stop the deadly pandemic will be judged together and carry the same weight with Trump. For Republican Heye, the simple fact that Trump's concerns about China backing out of the trade deal are factoring into his response to the coronavirus underscores how much Trump "has managed to box himself in on China." "After slapping everyone with tariffs for three years and forcing countries like China into trade deals they didn't want, Trump has created a situation where now he needs to appease China," said Heye, "or else he risks Beijing kicking the stool out from under one of his core issues." Trump's political interests may not be the only ones driving his apparent reluctance to cross Beijing: His financial interests could also be on the line. Trump's real estate and resort company has also had myriad financial ties to China, including financing by the state-controlled Bank of China for one of Trump's marquee properties, a 43-story building on the Avenue of the Americas in New York City, in which Trump owns a 30% stake. The loan for the property comes due in 2022, according to a Politico report Friday. After the Politico story was published, the Bank of China said it securitized and sold the debt in 2012. But the bank was still listed as a creditor on the property in a 2017 filing with the City of New York, and in a database of securitized mortgages. Bank of China said this was due to a "technical error."
Next steps
It's unclear how long Trump can protect his trade deal and the victory it represents from the realities of politics in the age of coronavirus. New pressures are surfacing all the time. Recently, intelligence emerged that indicates China is waging a covert information war to foment panic in the United States. Domestically, China is silencing critics of its early response to the pandemic and using state media and propaganda tools to create a triumphalist narrative about it. Beijing is also demanding praise from governments around the world in exchange for providing medical supplies and knowledge about the virus.
Chinese President Xi Jinping inspects the coronavirus pneumonia prevention and control work in Beijing, on Feb. 10, 2020. Pang Zinglei | Xinhua News Agency | Getty Images
In response, some members of the Trump administration are taking a stance against China that leaves no room for the president's detente, especially Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Speaking to the press on Wednesday, Pompeo ticked off an extensive list of what he said China had done wrong. "China covered up how dangerous the disease is. It didn't report sustained human-to-human transmission for a month until it was in every province inside of China. It censored those who tried to warn the world, it ordered a halt to testing of new samples, and it destroyed existing samples," said Pompeo. For Trump, however, the so-called invisible enemy of the virus is still wrapped up with the trade deal, at least for now. But that could be changing. Asked about the China deal on Tuesday, Trump let slip a whisper of his 2016 campaign message. "Great things were happening [with China] except, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, came the invisible enemy. And we think we know where it came from, and we'll be talking about that probably a lot," Trump said. "There's been nobody tougher than me on China." Trump admitted he has no guarantee that China will not back out of the deal because of the pandemic. "But if that happens," he said, "we'll do a termination and we'll do what I can do better than anybody."
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