Thread by @ChadPergram

1) The bigest, under-reported story on the planet right now is the lack of any new coronavirus bill which can become law.

And, what’s extraordinary, is that there wasn’t a coronavirus bill over the summer. Nor early fall.

2) And the prospects of a coronavirus deal the lame duck Congress are dim.

COVID-19 pulses. And it hasn’t altered the political landscape on Capitol Hill.

3) Don’t forget that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin spoke, nearly every day, for weeks in an effort to secure a coronavirus deal. Weeks.

4) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is still advocating for a smaller coronavirus bill. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) described that bill as “emaciated.”

5) And Pelosi is getting an earful from moderate Democrats – some of whom who lost – for not advancing a smaller coronavirus bill before the election. Pelosi originally wanted a $3.4 trillion package. But she slid to a $2.2 trillion price tag.

6) Mnuchin came up to about $1.9 trillion. But Senate Republicans completely threw Mnuchin under the bus on that.

7) President Trump was all over the map on what he wanted to do. He ordered Mnuchin to break off talks with Pelosi – which never happened. Then, erratically, a couple of days later, said he wanted to spend more than Pelosi – regardless of what Senate Republicans wanted.

8) Moderate Democrats and Republicans pushed Pelosi to do a bill in the $2 trillion range before the election. Pelosi balked at those prospects. It’s possible the House could have passed such a measure with a coalition of Democrats and Republicans somewhere in the middle.

9) But Pelosi likely would have infuriated liberals and she agreed to such a measure. In fact, Pelosi called her original, $3.4 trillion bill “perfect.” Regardless, a middle of the road bill never had a chance in the Senate.

10) Still, some wonder if Pelosi missed her chance to move a bill before the election. It would seem that McConnell is in the driver’s seat now – having sat out on the daily telephone calls between the Speaker and Mnuchin.

11) Pelosi is now reaffirming her commitment to a big bill, arguing that her position never changed. And Pelosi and Schumer are now trying to refocus attention on Republicans.

12) Voters spurred House Democrats on election day. Senate Democrats may emerge from this cycle securing a net pickup of one seat. So Pelosi and Schumer are trying to refocus the public’s attention on coronavirus.

13) And they note that Senate Republicans have fixated on something else since returning to Washington: contested election results.

14) “Instead of working to pull the country back together so we can fight our common enemy, COVID-19, Republicans in Congress are spreading conspiracy theories, denying reality and poisoning the well of our democracy,” said Schumer.

15) It’s possible the Senate may vote on yet another coronavirus bill – likely in the $500 billion range – in the lame duck. But any deal may have to wait until there’s a new Congress and a new President. Both sides may look for a new administration to broker a deal.

16) “At least we will know where the administration stands,” said one senior Senate GOP aide of the Biden Administration. The wild convulsions of President Trump and where he stood on a coronavirus bill at any one time made negotiating a package a near impossibility.

17) Also, the House and Senate have to come to an agreement to fund the government by December 11.

18) And, waiting in the wings is the annual defense policy bill. The House and Senate must resolve their differences in the legislation.

19) But both versions of the bill would rename military bases and facilities named after Confederates. President Trump has threatened a veto of the legislation.