Airport Alert: Senate Delays Procedural Vote on Coronavirus Relief Package

The Senate today postponed a planned procedural vote on a sweeping coronavirus relief package that could include $10 billion to help airports respond to the pandemic. The Senate had planned to hold a key test vote at 3 p.m. today. However, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) pushed the vote until 6 p.m., presumably to give House and Senate lawmakers and the Administration more time to finalize the package.

This afternoon, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) voiced her concerns about the coronavirus relief package, which was negotiated primarily by a bipartisan group of Senators and the Administration over the past several days. Pelosi indicated that House Democrats may introduce their own bill instead - a move that would likely slow passage of another relief package.

 

McConnell urged his colleagues to support the package, which is expected to cost at least $1.7 trillion. During his remarks on the Senate floor, McConnell said, "the American people need an outcome and they need it tomorrow. They need us to vote to advance this legislation today and pass it tomorrow."

 

To complicate matters, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) indicated today that he has tested positive for COVID-19, making him the first Senator and the third lawmaker to contract the disease. With that as a backdrop, there will likely be even more pressure on Democrats and Republicans to resolve their remaining differences and pass the coronavirus relief package as quickly as possible.

 

As we mentioned earlier today, if a deal comes together, and if the emergency appropriations package is included, the details are very positive for airports. The draft language provides $10 billion for airports. Airports would be allowed to use $7.4 billion of that amount for any lawful purpose - half allocated based on enplanements and the other half based on ratio of debt service and reserves.

 

Stay tuned for more updates.