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Mark Levin: Schumer ‘banged pots and pans’ about impeachment witnesses while coronavirus spread

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Mark Levin slammed Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., for being more focused on impeaching President Trump than using their congressional powers to prepare for the growing coronavirus pandemic.

The “Life, Liberty & Levin” host said in a monologue airing Sunday evening that if Schumer had his way, the impeachment trial would have dragged on for an additional month or so, keeping Congress’ focus away from the virus as it crept into Washington State and New York City.

“Chuck Schumer was banging the pots and pans demanding more and more witnesses,” Levin said. “And now today, they say that has nothing to do with anything. It has everything to do with everything.”

LEVIN CALLS FOR LOOSENING CORONAVIRUS’ ECONOMIC RESTRICTIONS

“Whatever happened to [former national security adviser] John Bolton and all the other witnesses they wanted to have? During this period, the Senate was not permitted to do anything. No hearings. That means the Senate Intelligence Committee was not permitted to hold hearings or review intelligence and take action and alert the American people about what was going on in China.”

Levin said that Schiff successfully transformed the House Intelligence Committee into a single-issue body focused on a “coup trial” of the president instead of looking into the potential threat of contagion.

THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK, STATE BY STATE

“How many hearings did Adam Schiff hold on China? How many hearings did he hold on the outbreak of the virus? No[ne],” Levin said.

“He even became the lead manager of the impeachment trial effort in the United States Senate.”

Levin said that the ability to investigate and prepare for a contagion reaching America’s shores falls squarely within the purview of committees like Schiff’s.

The former Reagan Justice Department official further slammed Congress for considering an infrastructure package, noting that the “roads and bridges” they want to fix can’t even be used by most of the public because they are required to remain in their homes as much as possible

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

“While the governors are shutting down part of the economy, we have massive liquidity going on here. I don’t know what for,” said Levin, going on to criticize states for unilaterally determining which businesses can remain open during the pandemic.

“Some jobs apparently are essential if the government subsidizes them. But apparently not if they’re in the private sector. I have real issues with this.”

In Levin’s home state of Pennsylvania, for example, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf instituted a ban on “non-life-sustaining” business operations, though proprietors had until last Friday to submit a “waiver” application to the Commonwealth in hopes of being permitted to reopen.

In New Jersey and New York, Govs. Philip Murphy and Andrew Cuomo have instituted similar restrictions on business operations, with Murphy being one of the first governors to issue a statewide stay-at-home order back on March 24.

During a recent “Hannity” interview, Levin urged the White House to reconsider their long-term economic strategy that has also has led to shuttering of businesses.

“I’m hoping people in Washington are listening,” Levin told Sean Hannity. “You cannot deficit spend your way into prosperity. If you could, Venezuela would be the richest nation on the face of the Earth.”

“The media and the Democrats and some of his advisors, I fear, are boxing the president in,” Levin continued Thursday. “The president a few weeks ago, I thought had a very good idea: Let’s look at the areas of the economy that we can open up.”

Fox News’ Yael Halon contributed to this report.

Republicans rip ‘partisan’ Pelosi panel on coronavirus response: ‘This isn’t about oversight’

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Republicans are hitting back at what they say is a “partisan” move by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to form a new House committee on the administration’s response to the coronavirus crisis — arguing that there are already numerous additional oversight measures in the $2 trillion stimulus bill passed by Congress last week.

“This isn’t about oversight, it sounds like pure politics,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said on “Fox & Friends” Friday. “Let’s take care of the crisis at hand right now. We have five different oversights already looking at this and this is what she comes up with?”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

“I want to remind everyone here in our nation’s capital, especially in Congress, that this is not the time for politics, endless partisan investigations. Here we go again,” President Trump said on Thursday. “They’ve already done extraordinary damage to our country in recent years.”

Pelosi announced Thursday that she is creating a House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis. The committee will appoint both Democrats and Republicans, and will have subpoena power to seek information from the Trump administration.

“It would have subpoena power that’s for sure. It’s no use having a committee unless you have subpoena power,” Pelosi, D-Calif., said Thursday during a teleconference call with reporters. “And we would hope that there would be cooperation because this is not a kind of an investigation of the administration it’s about the whole [response].”

TRUMP SLAMS ‘PARTISAN’ PROBES AFTER PELOSI ANNOUNCES CORONAVIRUS COMMMITTEE: ‘HERE WE GO AGAIN’

Unlike the 9/11-style after-action committee to investigate missteps in the coronavirus response that Rep. Adam Schiff and others have proposed, Pelosi said this committee is designed to address the “here and now” — specifically concerning the allocation of the historic amount of federal funds directed to economic recovery.

But McCarthy noted that in the $2 trillion CARES Act that passed Congress last week, there were a number of extra oversight measures included related to the federal funding — and that’s not including the Oversight Committee itself, which is tasked with conducting oversight of the federal government.

Those measures include the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, made up of inspectors general to locate and investigate waste and abuse of spending under the bill, and in response to the crisis. It also sets up a Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery to conduct oversight over stimulus spending by the Treasury.

Also set up is a Congressional Oversight Commission to oversee spending by the Department of the Treasury and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. It is required to send reports to Congress every 30 days.

“That’s why in the CARES act we implemented three new oversight entities within there that [Pelosi] has an appointment to, but we already have the Oversight Committee only to focus on this, and we also have…every single committee has an oversight subcommittee,” McCarthy said.

“It seems to me that this is just politics as usual instead of focusing on the crisis we need to be today, focusing on the American public and getting the resources to them,” he said.

Trump has also sought to paint the effort as part of an endless series of probes that includes the Russia investigation and the impeachment inquiry.

“It’s witch hunt after witch hunt after witch hunt,” President Trump said on Thursday. “And in the end it’s people doing the witch hunt who are losing — and they’ve been losing by a lot. And it’s not any time for witch hunts.”

The back and forth points to continued tensions between Democrats and Republicans. Republican lawmakers were furious at Pelosi’s approach to the spending bill, when she introduced a new spending package filled with what they saw as unrelated items such as environmental protections and requirements on the diversity of boards receiving federal money.

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Trump’s anger at Democratic leaders was on full display Thursday when he sent a furious letter to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

“If you spent less time on your ridiculous impeachment hoax, which went haplessly on forever and ended up going nowhere (except increasing my poll numbers), and instead focused on helping the people of New York, then New York would not have been so completely unprepared for the ‘invisible enemy,'” Trump wrote.

Fox News’ Marisa Schultz and Gregg Re contributed to this report.

Watchdog argues Michigan Dem violated House ethics rules by fundraising off controversial floor speech photo

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A government watchdog group argued Tuesday that Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., violated congressional ethics rules by trying to fundraise off a photo showing her speaking from the House floor in a now-viral address that included pink gloves and shouting about the coronavirus response.

The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) filed an official complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), arguing that she inappropriately used government resources and her official capacity to solicit campaign donations.

“The ethics rules explicitly prohibit Members from using House floor photographs for campaign purposes and soliciting campaign contributions tied to votes,” FACT Executive Director Kendra Arnold said in a press release. “It is important these laws are followed and enforced to protect taxpayers and ensure every vote is taken on its merit and not for political gain.”

FRESHMAN DEMOCRAT HALEY STEVENS YELLS ON HOUSE FLOOR BEFORE CORONAVIRUS VOTE

The email in question, which came from her campaign’s email account, begins with a photo of Stevens holding the microphone while wearing her pink gloves. “Hello from the Capitol,” a banner reads. It highlights how Stevens voted for the coronavirus relief package that made its way through Congress last week.

“I’m reaching out to make one thing clear: Help is on the way,” the email read. “We will not let you fall through the cracks. We will get through this together.”

At the bottom of the email, Stevens appeared to try and capitalize on the backlash she faced for yelling on the House floor. “Republicans are already attacking Haley for passionately speaking out for her district, calling her ‘unhinged’ and ‘crazy’ for demanding that we listen to public health experts and support working families.”

AOC GIVES FIERY FLOOR SPEECH DENOUNCING CORONAVIRUS STIMULUS: ‘THERE SHOULD BE SHAME!’

Stevens was ruled out of order by a Democratic representative who was presiding over the proceedings that day.

“I rise before you adorning these latex gloves not for personal attention, not for personal attention, but to encourage you to take this disease seriously,” Stevens said.

House Minority Leader Steny Hoyer eventually yielded 30 more seconds to Stevens, allowing her to continue her speech. Stevens initially talked over Hoyer as he tried telling her he was going to give her more time.

“Similar times of trying medical need,” she yelled, “wars and flus past — you will see darkness, you will be pushed, and our society needs you to stand together at this time. Our country needs loves you. To our doctors and our nurses, I’m wearing these latex gloves to tell every American to not be afraid.”

WATCHDOG REQUESTS IRS INVESTIGATION INTO ANTI-SUSAN COLLINS GROUP’S TAX EXEMPT STATUS

Others started yelling as Brown tried recognizing another member of Congress. As he pounded his gavel, Stevens could be heard continuing to yell. “The gentlelady from Michigan is no longer recognized,” Brown said before slamming his gavel again.

Stevens’ office did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.

In its official complaint, FACT pointed to rules surrounding government resources and using her official capacity to solicit campaign donations.

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

“In this case, Stevens’ campaign fundraising email demonstrates she is using government resources and legislation to solicit political contributions — a direct contradiction to the House Ethics rules,” the complaint read.

It added: “The photographs of the House floor are funded by taxpayer resources and using these resources for campaigning not only violates a specific House ethics rule, but also ‘the basic principle that government funds should not be spent to help incumbents gain reelection.”

Sally Pipes: In coronavirus battle, price controls would make it harder to develop lifesaving drugs

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As scientists race to develop vaccines and treatments for COVID-19, Democrats in Congress have renewed their push for price controls on drugs designed to protect us from the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, along with other illnesses.

The Democrats claim many Americans will only be able to afford the therapies that emerge if the government caps their prices.

But price controls are a counterproductive way to bring down the cost of vaccines and drugs to treat diseases. They’d not only result in shortages but also make it harder for researchers to develop lifesaving drugs.

By contrast, injecting transparency into the pharmaceutical market at home and negotiating better trade deals abroad would yield lower drug prices without jeopardizing medical progress.

CORONAVIRUS SICKENING YOUNG ADULTS, CHILDREN: WE ARE LEARNING ‘THAT EVERYONE IS AT RISK’

Congressional Democrats have been doing their best not to let this crisis go to waste. Initial drafts of the first coronavirus stimulus package – an $8.3 billion spending bill Congress passed March 4 – included a provision that would have allowed the government to dictate the price of any COVID-19 vaccine developed using federal funds.

The price controls didn’t end up in the final version of the bill. But there is plenty of price control legislation lingering on Capitol Hill.

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For example, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s bill – called the Lower Drug Costs Now Act – would allow the federal government to effectively set the price of up to 250 brand-name drugs each year. It would also cap prices for these drugs at the average price in six other developed nations.

That would kneecap drug research. On average, it takes $2.6 billion and up to 15 years to bring a drug from the lab to pharmacy shelves. Just over 10 percent of drugs that begin clinical trials ever receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval.

In other words, about nine in 10 compounds that make it to testing in humans fail. All the years and money spent developing them are essentially for naught.

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Investors only fund these risky projects if they foresee a reasonable chance of recouping their money. That’s why so much drug research occurs in the United States, which has fewer rules governing drug prices than other developed nations. U.S. companies develop half of all new medicines; European firms are responsible for just a third.

It’s no wonder the White House Council of Economic Advisers estimates that Pelosi’s bill would result in the development of 100 fewer drugs over a decade.

Still, many Americans could use some help at the pharmacy counter. Nearly 30 percent of Americans say they haven’t taken a prescription as directed because of cost. That’s dangerous – and can even be deadly.

Congress can lower drug prices by injecting some sanity into the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Right now, insurance companies hire “pharmacy benefit managers” to negotiate with pharmaceutical manufacturers over whether to include drugs on the insurers’ lists of covered drugs, or formularies, and at what price.

Three pharmacy benefit managers control more than three-quarters of the market, so they have a lot of leverage to command discounts, or rebates, from drugmakers

in exchange for placement on a formulary.

Drug makers have little choice but to acquiesce. If they decline to play ball with the pharmacy benefit managers they could be unable to sell their wares to all the patients those pharmacy benefit managers represent.

Pharmacy benefit managers keep some of the rebates they secure and share the rest with their insurer clients, who theoretically pass along at least a portion of them to beneficiaries as lower premiums.

Those rebates amount to billions of dollars. Giving them directly to patients would make a huge difference.

For example, if 80 percent of rebates were shared with patients, seniors who take diabetes medicines could save an average of $350 a year. Medicare beneficiaries would save $25 billion over a decade if rebates were passed along at the point of sale.

Lawmakers could also cap out-of-pocket costs in Medicare’s drug benefit, which is called Part D. About 2 percent of Part D beneficiaries spend more than $5,000 out of pocket on drugs each year. Implementing a $2,500 out-of-pocket cap in Part D would save patients more than $7 billion over a decade, according to an analysis from the American Action Forum.

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To supplement congressional action, the U.S. trade representative could appoint a dedicated pharmaceutical negotiator. Currently, countries with government-run health systems force American companies to sell their drugs abroad at a steep discount. These firms raise prices in the United States to make up the difference.

A dedicated pharmaceutical trade negotiator could work to ensure that other countries pay more reasonable prices for the fruits of American innovation.

Price controls would destroy America’s pharmaceutical sector, which provides the world with treatments for not just for deadly viruses but for chronic conditions affecting millions of Americans. There are far more responsible, sustainable ways to make drugs more affordable.

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New York suffered while Democrats pushed for ‘liberal, fantasy wish-list items,’ GOP lawmaker says

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Democrats in Congress went overboard this week in pushing for “liberal, fantasy wish-list items” in the $2.2 trillion coronavirus aid bill that President Trump signed into law, a Republican congressman from hard-hit New York said Friday.

The nation’s finances were already in rough shape before the outbreak struck, U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, from Suffolk County outside New York City, noted during an appearance on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle.”

“Our debt going into this whole pandemic was already well north of 22, 23 trillion dollars,” Zeldin said, “so as far as where it comes from, we are not necessarily flush with cash going into this outbreak.

GOV. ABBOTT SAYS TEXAS PREPARED FOR OUTBREAK

“For myself and for many of my colleagues,” he added, “our focus was on small businesses, on workers, on hospitals, state and local governments.

“I happen to represent a district in the middle of this outbreak — in New York. I’m on Long Island,” he continued, speaking from the town of West Babylon. “Unfortunately, the other side of the aisle, I have colleagues looking at this as an opportunity to push liberal, fantasy wish-list items totally unrelated to coronavirus.”

Host Laura Ingraham catalogued some of the more egregious examples of the Democrats’ excessive demands, including a complaint from Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif.

“H.R. 748 does not prohibit negative credit reporting during the crisis, forgive student loan debt, suspend consumer credit payments, among other concerns,” she said, adding that she hoped to see those provisions in a “next phase” aid bill.

Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., voiced concern that assistance for Planned Parenthood was not included in the bill.

“I am deeply disturbed that my Republican colleagues are trying to exclude local Planned Parenthood clinics from the small business financing,” Schakowsky said.

Ingraham remarked that Democrats “always go” to the abortion issue no matter the discussion at hand.

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

Zeldin said the bill should have focused exclusively on coronvirus-related provisions and aid for hard-hit regions like the New York City metro area.

Ingraham added that she was thankful Democrats were unable to get a “ballot harvesting” measure into the bill, which she said would have had an adverse effect on the security of the 2020 presidential election.

Pelosi ‘jiu-jitsu’ claim on coronavirus relief all wrong, McCarthy says: ‘She held the bill up’

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is being disingenuous about her role in crafting the $2 trillion coronavirus aid package, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Thursday night.

“I know it is her birthday, but it does not give her the right to lie,” McCarthy, a California Republican, said on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” on the day that Pelosi, a San Francisco Democrat, turned 80 years old.

“Ninety-nine percent of this bill was already decided on Sunday — she held the bill up,” McCarthy added.

MCCONNELL ADMONISHES PELOSI OVER CORONAVIRUS AID BILL: ‘I WISH SHE’D TURN OFF THOSE POLITICAL TALKING POINTS’

Pelosi claimed in earlier remarks that she and other House Democrats had “performed jiu-jitsu on” the bill, preventing Republicans from making it a piece of “corporate first” legislation.

She claimed Democrats succeeded in shifting the bill’s direction toward a “democratic, workers-first legislation.”

McCarthy added that nearly 3.3 million Americans filed jobless claims this week, while Democrats “held up” the bill, which was being crafted to provide relief.

He also slammed Pelosi for trying to insert provisions enacting parts of the Green New Deal, giving millions to Planned Parenthood, transforming election law, granting money to sanctuary cities, and giving a handout to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington.

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

“That is what she was requesting — that is what we kept out,” he said, adding that during bipartisan negotiations, the provision giving $24 million to the Kennedy Center remained in the bill.

“[The Kennedy Center funding] is her ‘jiu-jitsu’,” he said.

Hawley slams China for costing world ‘thousands of lives and billions of dollars’ with coronavirus response

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Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said Tuesday that China must be made to pay — literally — for economic damage to the United States caused by the coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, Hubei Province.

Hawley told “Hannity” that the U.S. government had offered to send medical teams and scientists to China in order to aid their recovery and find out exactly what happened in the country.

WOLFGANG PUCK PAINTS DIRE PICTURE FOR FOODSERVICE INDUSTRY IF CONGRESS DOESN’T ACT: ‘WE CAN’T WAIT A MONTH’

“China said no … they have been lying about it and sitting on it for weeks and weeks and weeks and that has cost the world thousands of deaths, it’s cost us here in this country,” Hawley said.

The senator also called for an international investigation that will “hold the Chinese government to account” and fight Beijing’s state-run “propaganda machine” that he said has helped spread rumors implicating the American military in the pandemic.

“We need to make it clear — and we need an international investigation to make it clear for the world — that this started in Wuhan, China, that the Chinese government lied about it, they jailed the doctors who tried to blow the whistle on it, they cost the world thousands of lives and billions of dollars. And here’s the other thing, they ought to be on the hook to pay back some of it.”

Hawley also said America will eventually recover and return to the global community stronger than before — but reiterated that China must be held responsible.

He also slammed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for inserting pages and pages of pork barrel spending into her caucus’ version of the coronavirus aid bill.

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

In the text of the House version, there are costly provisions for supporting the Kennedy Center in Washington, Gallaudet University, NASA, enforcing new Green New Deal-type standards on airlines receiving federal help, and the installation of diversity officers in the corporate structure.

“We have our economy at a point of crisis and we are in a public health crisis, we’ve got people who are losing their jobs, we’ve got people desperate for medical care. And … she’s trying to put in abortion funding into this bill, she’s trying to get funding for sanctuary cities, she’s trying to get amnesty,” Hawley fumed. “You’ve got to be kidding me — I’m not voting for any of that stuff. Let’s get this thing done.”

Coronavirus stimulus bill teeters again, as Graham lights into Dems’ ‘nickel-and-diming while people are dying’

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Just hours after President Trump’s top economic adviser said Congress was close to agreeing on an unprecedented $6 trillion stimulus plan, tensions abruptly ratcheted back up again on Capitol Hill Tuesday night — with Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham taking to the Senate floor and calling for an immediate end to negotiations because he said Democrats were “nickel-and-diming at a time when people are dying — literally dying.”

Graham’s late-night remarks came after tensions seemingly had cooled in Congress during the day, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average to its highest point gain in its history as leaders from both parties signaled that an agreement could be within reach. Futures were down Tuesday night.

“In case you’re watching,” Graham said in reference to the president, his voice rising, “tell [Treasury Secretary] Steven Mnuchin to come back to the White House and end negotiations. I think I understand the give-and-take of life and politics, but I’ve been called by two good friends on the Democratic side in the last five or six hours wanting more money. End the negotiations.”

He added: “This bill is $2 trillion. There’s a ton of money in this bill for people who need it, but what we’re doing now is, every special-interest group in town is trying to get a little bit more.”

Monday had been marked with furious debate on the Senate floor, as Republicans accused House Democrats of proposing an alternative stimulus bill that was full of unnecessary progressive wishlist items.

The bill offered by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., included measures to restrict airlines’ carbon emissions, protect illegal immigrants, provide for same-day voter registration, pay off billions in student loan debt, encourage federal agencies to employ “minority banks,” bail out the U.S. Postal Service and even fund the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Republicans, including the president, have called the measures “nonsense” nonstarters. After Democrats signaled they might be willing to negotiate away some of their proposals, though, the Dow surged Tuesday to its highest point gain in history, and lawmakers appeared more optimistic.

“This is ridiculous,” Graham continued Tuesday night. “Steven Mnuchin has done a good job. I appreciate his efforts to negotiate a bill that will help America. Senator [Mitch] McConnell says we’re on the two-yard line. I believe the problem is that there are 20 people playing defense, and we need to take some people off the field. What bothers me is that at that late hour, I’m still getting calls from people wanting more money.”

WATCH: TRUMP SAYS CORONAVIRUS SHUTDOWN MAY BE OVER BY EASTER

President Trump with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, during a briefing at the White House on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

“I have lost my patience with the political process,” Graham added. “We’re being nickel-and-dimed now. The big stuff we’ve got pretty well right, and if it’s not perfect, we can fix it later. But, we need to vote tonight, and the reason I’m on the floor is because I’ve been called by two Democratic colleagues in the last five or six hours wanting more money. The store is closed. Mr. President, end negotiations. Require us to vote. Draft the bill, do it tonight.”

WHAT’S IN PELOSI’S CORONAVIRUS BILL? ARTS FUNDING, CLIMATE CHANGE WISHLIST, AND MORE

Graham’s frustration was matched by many of his colleagues. Louisiana GOP Sen. John Kennedy told Fox News’ Sean Hannity late Tuesday that while the coronavirus “can kill you,” so can “hunger.” He accused Pelosi of demolishing a Senate compromise bill with her own legislation.

However, it’s highly unlikely the bill could see a vote Tuesday night, given that lawmakers have not even finalized the text. A Thursday or Friday vote in the House of Representatives appeared possible. But, because many House lawmakers have not been in Washington, that process likely would involve a voice vote with a skeleton crew, essentially requiring unanimous consent — meaning just one House member could kill the vote.

Shortly before Graham spoke, Trump declared at a coronovirus task force briefing that the country was nearing “the end of our historic battle” with “the invisible enemy” of coronavirus. Trump’s approval numbers hit their highest point ever this week, with 60 percent of Americans approving of his coronavirus response efforts.

The president also sounded an unexpectedly magnanimous note: “I also want to thank Congress, because whether or not we’re happy that they haven’t quite gotten there yet, they have been working long hours. I’m talking Republicans and Democrats, all of them, the House, the Senate. I want to thank Congress because they are really trying to get there, and I think they will.”

DEMS FUME AS TRUMP SAYS COUNTRY MAY BE REOPENED BY EASTER

Then, Director of the U.S. National Economic Council Larry Kudlow specifically said the new coronavirus bill working its way through congressional gridlock would total $6 trillion: $4 trillion in liquidity from the Federal Reserve and $2 trillion in new money. Typical annual appropriations from Congress in a given fiscal year are around $1.2-4 trillion, with total expenditures roughly $4.3 trillion.

“This package will be the single largest Main Street assistance program in the history of the United States,” Kudlow said, adding that negotiations would continue into the evening but that a vote was imminent.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, center, on his way to the offices of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Meanwhile, there was some good news inside the White House grounds. As the briefing concluded, White House press Secretary Stephanie Grisham, who has been quarantined since coming in contact with Brazilian officials almost two weeks ago and working from home, revealed she has received negative COVID-19 test results and will be back to work Wednesday.

Grisham will return as the Trump administration increasingly has sought to project optimism. The president, who tweeted Sunday that “WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF,” declared at the Fox News virtual town hall that he “would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter.”

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Pressed by Fox News’ John Roberts on the timeline, Trump said at the briefing: “We’ll be looking at a lot of things — we’ll also be looking at very large portions of our country, but I’ll be guided very much by Dr. [Anthony] Fauci, and by Deborah [Birx].”

Fauci, the longtime head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, whose absence from recent coronavirus briefings triggered a wave of speculation in the media, said the timeline was still “flexible.”

Fox News’ Chad Pergram and John Roberts contributed to this report.

Coronavirus stimulus bill teeters again, as Graham lights into Dems’ ‘nickel-and-diming while people are dying’

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Just hours after President Trump’s top economic adviser said Congress was close to agreeing on an unprecedented $6 trillion stimulus plan, tensions abruptly ratcheted back up again on Capitol Hill Tuesday night — with Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham taking to the Senate floor and calling for an immediate end to negotiations because he said Democrats were “nickel-and-diming at a time when people are dying — literally dying.”

Graham’s late-night remarks came after tensions seemingly had cooled in Congress during the day, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average to its highest point gain in its history as leaders from both parties signaled that an agreement could be within reach. Futures were down Tuesday night.

“In case you’re watching,” Graham said in reference to the president, his voice rising, “tell [Treasury Secretary] Steven Mnuchin to come back to the White House and end negotiations. I think I understand the give-and-take of life and politics, but I’ve been called by two good friends on the Democratic side in the last five or six hours wanting more money. End the negotiations.”

He added: “This bill is $2 trillion. There’s a ton of money in this bill for people who need it, but what we’re doing now is, every special-interest group in town is trying to get a little bit more.”

Monday had been marked with furious debate on the Senate floor, as Republicans accused House Democrats of proposing an alternative stimulus bill that was full of unnecessary progressive wishlist items.

The bill offered by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., included measures to restrict airlines’ carbon emissions, protect illegal immigrants, provide for same-day voter registration, pay off billions in student loan debt, encourage federal agencies to employ “minority banks,” bail out the U.S. Postal Service and even fund the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Republicans, including the president, have called the measures “nonsense” nonstarters. After Democrats signaled they might be willing to negotiate away some of their proposals, though, the Dow surged Tuesday to its highest point gain in history, and lawmakers appeared more optimistic.

“This is ridiculous,” Graham continued Tuesday night. “Steven Mnuchin has done a good job. I appreciate his efforts to negotiate a bill that will help America. Senator [Mitch] McConnell says we’re on the two-yard line. I believe the problem is that there are 20 people playing defense, and we need to take some people off the field. What bothers me is that at that late hour, I’m still getting calls from people wanting more money.”

WATCH: TRUMP SAYS CORONAVIRUS SHUTDOWN MAY BE OVER BY EASTER

President Trump with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, during a briefing at the White House on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

“I have lost my patience with the political process,” Graham added. “We’re being nickel-and-dimed now. The big stuff we’ve got pretty well right, and if it’s not perfect, we can fix it later. But, we need to vote tonight, and the reason I’m on the floor is because I’ve been called by two Democratic colleagues in the last five or six hours wanting more money. The store is closed. Mr. President, end negotiations. Require us to vote. Draft the bill, do it tonight.”

WHAT’S IN PELOSI’S CORONAVIRUS BILL? ARTS FUNDING, CLIMATE CHANGE WISHLIST, AND MORE

Graham’s frustration was matched by many of his colleagues. Louisiana GOP Sen. John Kennedy told Fox News’ Sean Hannity late Tuesday that while the coronavirus “can kill you,” so can “hunger.” He accused Pelosi of demolishing a Senate compromise bill with her own legislation.

However, it’s highly unlikely the bill could see a vote Tuesday night, given that lawmakers have not even finalized the text. A Thursday or Friday vote in the House of Representatives appeared possible. But, because many House lawmakers have not been in Washington, that process likely would involve a voice vote with a skeleton crew, essentially requiring unanimous consent — meaning just one House member could kill the vote.

Shortly before Graham spoke, Trump declared at a coronovirus task force briefing that the country was nearing “the end of our historic battle” with “the invisible enemy” of coronavirus. Trump’s approval numbers hit their highest point ever this week, with 60 percent of Americans approving of his coronavirus response efforts.

The president also sounded an unexpectedly magnanimous note: “I also want to thank Congress, because whether or not we’re happy that they haven’t quite gotten there yet, they have been working long hours. I’m talking Republicans and Democrats, all of them, the House, the Senate. I want to thank Congress because they are really trying to get there, and I think they will.”

DEMS FUME AS TRUMP SAYS COUNTRY MAY BE REOPENED BY EASTER

Then, Director of the U.S. National Economic Council Larry Kudlow specifically said the new coronavirus bill working its way through congressional gridlock would total $6 trillion: $4 trillion in liquidity from the Federal Reserve and $2 trillion in new money. Typical annual appropriations from Congress in a given fiscal year are around $1.2-4 trillion, with total expenditures roughly $4.3 trillion.

“This package will be the single largest Main Street assistance program in the history of the United States,” Kudlow said, adding that negotiations would continue into the evening but that a vote was imminent.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, center, on his way to the offices of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Meanwhile, there was some good news inside the White House grounds. As the briefing concluded, White House press Secretary Stephanie Grisham, who has been quarantined since coming in contact with Brazilian officials almost two weeks ago and working from home, revealed she has received negative COVID-19 test results and will be back to work Wednesday.

Grisham will return as the Trump administration increasingly has sought to project optimism. The president, who tweeted Sunday that “WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF,” declared at the Fox News virtual town hall that he “would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter.”

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Pressed by Fox News’ John Roberts on the timeline, Trump said at the briefing: “We’ll be looking at a lot of things — we’ll also be looking at very large portions of our country, but I’ll be guided very much by Dr. [Anthony] Fauci, and by Deborah [Birx].”

Fauci, the longtime head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, whose absence from recent coronavirus briefings triggered a wave of speculation in the media, said the timeline was still “flexible.”

Fox News’ Chad Pergram and John Roberts contributed to this report.

House Dems’ emergency coronavirus stimulus bill includes $35M for JFK Performing Arts Center

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House Democrats are being criticized on Monday for allotting expenses in their proposal of an emergency stimulus bill that has nothing to do with the coronavirus outbreak, including $35 million meant for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C.

Following the Senate Democrats derailing the pursuit of a bipartisan-drafted stimulus bill, the House led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., offered their own version of a bill meant to save the economy as the pandemic has pummelled the stock market. However, buried inside the over 1,100-page emergency proposal is money meant to upkeep a popular destination at the country’s capital.

“For an additional amount for ‘Operations and Maintenance,’ $35,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021, for operations and maintenance requirements related to the consequenees of coronavirus: Provided, That notwithstanding the provisions of 20 U.S.C. 76th et seq., funds provided in this Act shall be made available to cover operating expenses required to ensure the continuity of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and its affiliates, including for employee compensation and benefits, grants, contracts, payments for rent or utilities, fees for artists or performers,  information technology and other administrative expenses,” the bill reads.

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The next page of the bill indicates that $300 million would be allotted for the National Endowment of the Arts and an additional $300 million for the National Endowment of the Humanities. The bill also provides $100 million for NASA and $278 million for the IRS.

Such expenses, particularly the $35 million for the performing arts center, raised eyebrows on social media.

“$35 Mil for the Kennedy Center is essential for battling the Coronavirus, says Nancy Pelosi,” the Federalist publisher Ben Domenech reacted.

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Several GOP lawmakers pointed to Pelosi’s alleged involvement amid talks of a Senate emergency bill as responsible for the bill’s derailment by Senate Democrats.