House Progressives Sat Out Fight Over COVID-19 Relief Vote

When House Democratic leaders introduced a $3 trillion relief bill on Tuesday to address the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) sounded like she was on a mission to sink the bill for omitting key progressive priorities.

But what began with a roar, ended with a whimper on Friday when progressives narrowly lost a procedural vote to postpone consideration of the legislation. Ahead of the critical vote, the caucus did not whip its members to cast votes against the bill.

That decision not to whip opposition to the bill among the caucus gave some the impression it was made to avoid the embarrassment of a potential loss. “No one wants to be seen as trying and failing,” said a progressive House aide, who was not authorized to speak to the press.

Friday’s party-line vote by the full House was surprisingly close, however, indicating that a more strident effort might have produced a different result. Every Republican, 14 Democrats and the one independent voted against the bill, providing Democratic leadership a win by just an eight-vote margin.

Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chairs, Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), left, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), have struggled to unite a group of more than 90 lawmakers. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chairs, Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), left, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), have struggled to unite a group of more than 90 lawmakers. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

As with any massive spending bill, the HEROES Act ― as the House legislation is called ― contained a host of policies popular among both the Democratic Party’s moderate and progressive wings. It would allot $1 trillion in aid to cash-strapped state and local governments, provide hazard pay for essential workers, mandate tougher health and safety standards for health care professionals, rescue the U.S. Postal Service, enact universal mail-in voting, and issue a second $1,200 stimulus payment that Americans would be eligible for regardless of their immigration status.

Still, critics found the inclusion of certain conservative features especially insulting because the bill was a partisan document designed to serve as an opening bid in talks with Senate Republicans, rather than a bipartisan compromise. To plug holes in health care coverage that would emerge due to the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, the legislation offered more Medicaid funding to states and expanded and subsidized COBRA, a program enabling people to keep the health insurance they had from their previous job. In lieu of the COBRA expansion, Jayapal had advocated allowing unemployed Americans to temporarily enroll in Medicare, which has lower costs and would enable more people to stay covered.

“When you hear the word ‘COBRA’ you just get shudders down your spine,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), a vice chair of the CPC, told HuffPost on Friday. “It ends up increasing complexity and that’s discouraging to people.”

If we’re going to have a negotiating starting point, why not have our priorities in it? Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.)

And Democratic leaders insisted on preserving a system of routing government cash assistance for small business and their workers through middlemen and tax credits, rather than guaranteeing paychecks directly as Jayapal demanded.

Automatic stabilizing mechanisms ensuring that crisis-related safety net expansions could remain in effect as long as the economy remained poor ended up on the cutting-room floor as well. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told reporters that while they were good policy, the stabilizers simply made the already-expensive bill look too costly on paper.

After quietly accepting imperfect relief legislation in March and April on the grounds that there was no alternative, progressive lawmakers finally made it seem like they were fed up.

“There is greater frustration now than there was at the beginning,” Khanna said. “If we’re going to have a negotiating starting point, why not have our priorities in it?”

Jayapal and her co-chair, Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), demanded in a Tuesday letter that Pelosi delay a vote on the bill until next week. Jayapal also gave Pelosi a piece of her mind on a Tuesday conference call with the House Democratic Caucus.

The following day, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), the CPC’s whip, developed a plan to try to rally the 18 votes that she estimated it would take to sink the procedural vote on a “rule” clearing the path for a vote on the broader bill. If they were successful, it would at the very least give progressives more time to make their case to leadership.

In the event though, the CPC merely surveyed its more than 90 members ― some of whom also belong to the business-friendly New Democrat Coalition ― to gauge how willing they might be to resist the bill.

Caucus leadership never explicitly asked its varied members to vote “no” on the rule.

Of the 14 Democrats who did vote “no,” nine were members of the CPC and the rest were moderates in swing seats who tend to break with party leadership for political rather than ideological reasons. Neither Jayapal nor Pocan responded to requests for comment on whether they tried to coordinate with the moderates in a cross-ideological coalition against House leadership.

Some progressives celebrated the outcome as evidence of how close the CPC is to achieving its goals, given the slightest effort.

“We want to applaud the progressive leaders in Congress who rallied votes to push this bill in the right direction,” said Waleed Shahid, a spokesman for Justice Democrats, a left-wing group that supports primary challenges against moderate Democratic incumbents. “It came late, but we think it’s an important step towards building a stronger, more aligned progressive bloc that delivers real relief.”

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

David Segal, executive director of Demand Progress, which strongly encouraged members of Congress to stop the bill, framed the week’s events as an argument for greater discipline among outside progressive groups. Even as Jayapal fumed about the bill on Tuesday, a coalition of liberal organizations that includes MoveOn and Indivisible had already praised the legislation.

“If more groups had come out louder, in greater numbers, faster, then we probably could have won the rule vote,” he said.

Also on HuffPost

Selfie Time

Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.), shoots a video selfie as he heads to the House floor for votes on March 4, 2015.
Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.), shoots a video selfie as he heads to the House floor for votes on March 4, 2015.

Giffords' Voice

Former Congresswoman and handgun violence survivor Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.) speaks during a news conference about background checks for gun purchases at the Canon House Office Building on Capitol Hill on March 4, 2015.
Former Congresswoman and handgun violence survivor Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.) speaks during a news conference about background checks for gun purchases at the Canon House Office Building on Capitol Hill on March 4, 2015.

Netanyahu Speaks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waves as he steps to the lectern prior to speaking before a joint meeting of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 3, 2015. House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, left, and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) applaud.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waves as he steps to the lectern prior to speaking before a joint meeting of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 3, 2015. House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, left, and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) applaud.

Netanyahu Speaks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waves after speaking before a joint meeting of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 3, 2015.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waves after speaking before a joint meeting of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 3, 2015.

Twinning

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) chuckles as she starts a news conference by donning dark glasses, a teasingly sympathetic gesture to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) as he recovers from a serious injury to his right eye, suffered while exercising at his Nevada home during the holidays. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) chuckles as she starts a news conference by donning dark glasses, a teasingly sympathetic gesture to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) as he recovers from a serious injury to his right eye, suffered while exercising at his Nevada home during the holidays. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Smooch

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) responds to reporters about the impasse over passing the Homeland Security budget because of Republican efforts to block President Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration on Feb. 26, 2015, during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) responds to reporters about the impasse over passing the Homeland Security budget because of Republican efforts to block President Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration on Feb. 26, 2015, during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Code Pink Targets Kerry

Code Pink protesters hold up a sign as Secretary of State John Kerry arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington on Feb. 25, 2015, to testify before a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.
Code Pink protesters hold up a sign as Secretary of State John Kerry arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington on Feb. 25, 2015, to testify before a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.

Cool Shades

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) (left) speaks as  Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) listens during a news briefing after the weekly Senate Democratic Policy Luncheon on Feb. 24, 2015. Reid was wearing glasses following a recent eye surgery.
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) (left) speaks as Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) listens during a news briefing after the weekly Senate Democratic Policy Luncheon on Feb. 24, 2015. Reid was wearing glasses following a recent eye surgery.

Space Socks

The socks of former NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin are shown as he testifies before the Senate Space, Science, and Competitiveness Subcommittee on Capitol Hill on Feb. 24, 2015.
The socks of former NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin are shown as he testifies before the Senate Space, Science, and Competitiveness Subcommittee on Capitol Hill on Feb. 24, 2015.

Kerry Plots

Secretary of State John Kerry appears before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs on Feb. 24, 2015, to talk about fiscal year 2016 funding for the State Department.
Secretary of State John Kerry appears before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs on Feb. 24, 2015, to talk about fiscal year 2016 funding for the State Department.

Liberace In Washington

A cardboard cutout of Las Vegas star Liberace stands outside the office of Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) in the Cannon House Office Building on Feb. 18, 2015.
A cardboard cutout of Las Vegas star Liberace stands outside the office of Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) in the Cannon House Office Building on Feb. 18, 2015.

Workers Rally

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) attends a rally with labor groups, including the American Federation of Government Employees, in Upper Senate Park to support federal workers and the working class, on Feb. 10, 2015.
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) attends a rally with labor groups, including the American Federation of Government Employees, in Upper Senate Park to support federal workers and the working class, on Feb. 10, 2015.

Senate Laughter

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) (3rd L) laughs as he talks to (L-R) Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) before a news conference on currency and trade Feb. 10, 2015, on Capitol Hill.
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) (3rd L) laughs as he talks to (L-R) Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) before a news conference on currency and trade Feb. 10, 2015, on Capitol Hill.

Carrying Reagan Through The Capitol

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) walks through the basement of the Capitol with a painting of former President Ronald Reagan by artist Steve Penley on Feb. 11, 2015. The painting will be added to Issa's collection of Reagan memorabilia.
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) walks through the basement of the Capitol with a painting of former President Ronald Reagan by artist Steve Penley on Feb. 11, 2015. The painting will be added to Issa's collection of Reagan memorabilia.

Sad Speaker

Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) holds his weekly press conference in the Capitol on Feb. 5, 2015.
Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) holds his weekly press conference in the Capitol on Feb. 5, 2015.

Group Hug

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) gives a group hug to students from the Richard Wright Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., during his National School Choice Forum in the Hart Senate Office Building on Feb. 9, 2015.
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) gives a group hug to students from the Richard Wright Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., during his National School Choice Forum in the Hart Senate Office Building on Feb. 9, 2015.

Ukraine In Washington

Patriarch Filaret, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate, speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 5, 2015. Delegates from the Ukrainian Parliament joined members of the House of Representatives to appeal for lethal military aid from the U.S.
Patriarch Filaret, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate, speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 5, 2015. Delegates from the Ukrainian Parliament joined members of the House of Representatives to appeal for lethal military aid from the U.S.

Back On The Hill

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) speaks to the media as Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) listens, following the Senate Democrats' policy lunch on Feb. 3, 2015.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) speaks to the media as Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) listens, following the Senate Democrats' policy lunch on Feb. 3, 2015.

CodePink

The protest group CodePink disrupts a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, carrying banners calling former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger a "war criminal" as he and fellow former Secretary of States George Shultz and Madeleine Albright were set to testify on U.S. national security on Capitol Hill on Jan. 29, 2015.
The protest group CodePink disrupts a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, carrying banners calling former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger a "war criminal" as he and fellow former Secretary of States George Shultz and Madeleine Albright were set to testify on U.S. national security on Capitol Hill on Jan. 29, 2015.

Democratic Retreat

Naomi Sherman, 4, right, along with her father, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.); mother, Lisa; and sisters, Lucy, 2, and Molly, 5, prepares to board a bus that will take House Democrats and their families to a retreat in Philadelphia on Jan. 28, 2015.
Naomi Sherman, 4, right, along with her father, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.); mother, Lisa; and sisters, Lucy, 2, and Molly, 5, prepares to board a bus that will take House Democrats and their families to a retreat in Philadelphia on Jan. 28, 2015.

Did You See That?

Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), left, and Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) talk before a news conference in the Capitol's Senate studio to "respond to the Obama administration's efforts to lock up millions of acres of the nation's richest oil and natural gas prospects on the Arctic coastal plain and move to block development of Alaska's offshore resources" on Jan. 26, 2015.

That's A Big Hammer

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), left, reacts as Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) brings out a giant gavel while making remarks during an executive business meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Jan. 22, 2015. Leahy ceremonially passed the gavel to Grassley who has taken up the chairmanship after the Republicans won the majority in the Senate.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), left, reacts as Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) brings out a giant gavel while making remarks during an executive business meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Jan. 22, 2015. Leahy ceremonially passed the gavel to Grassley who has taken up the chairmanship after the Republicans won the majority in the Senate.

State Of The Union Excitement

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) speaks with Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) as senators arrive for President Barack Obama's State of the Union address in the Capitol on Jan. 20, 2015.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) speaks with Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) as senators arrive for President Barack Obama's State of the Union address in the Capitol on Jan. 20, 2015.

SOTU Selfie

Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) takes a selfie with Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) as Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) sits nearby before President Barack Obama's State of the Union address on Jan. 20, 2015.
Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) takes a selfie with Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) as Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) sits nearby before President Barack Obama's State of the Union address on Jan. 20, 2015.

Hello, Mr. President

President Barack Obama, bottom right, is greeted by Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), center, as he arrives to deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Jan. 20, 2015.
President Barack Obama, bottom right, is greeted by Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), center, as he arrives to deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Jan. 20, 2015.

Making His Point

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) holds a news conference on the budget on Jan. 16, 2015.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) holds a news conference on the budget on Jan. 16, 2015.

Searching The Senator

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and his wife, Laura, have their luggage inspected by a police dog before boarding a bus that will take Republican senators to a retreat in Hershey, Pa., January 14, 2015.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and his wife, Laura, have their luggage inspected by a police dog before boarding a bus that will take Republican senators to a retreat in Hershey, Pa., January 14, 2015.

Retreating From Capitol Hill

Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.) walks by immigration protesters on his way to one of the buses outside the Rayburn House Office Building as House Republicans prepare to head to Hershey, Pa., for their retreat with Senate Republicans on Jan. 14, 2015.
Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.) walks by immigration protesters on his way to one of the buses outside the Rayburn House Office Building as House Republicans prepare to head to Hershey, Pa., for their retreat with Senate Republicans on Jan. 14, 2015.

Just A Joke

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) fools around with colleagues upon arriving for a news conference on Guantanamo detainees in the Senate studio on Jan. 13, 2015.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) fools around with colleagues upon arriving for a news conference on Guantanamo detainees in the Senate studio on Jan. 13, 2015.

Oh Boy!

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill on Jan. 13, 2015. House Democrats spoke about U.S. President Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill on Jan. 13, 2015. House Democrats spoke about U.S. President Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration.

Paying Off The Bet

From left, Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) make symbols that spell "Ohio" on Jan. 13, 2015, as the result of a football bet. Ohio State beat the University of Oregon 42-20 in the NCAA national football championship.
From left, Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) make symbols that spell "Ohio" on Jan. 13, 2015, as the result of a football bet. Ohio State beat the University of Oregon 42-20 in the NCAA national football championship.

Frustration

Cleanliness

Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) sanitizes his hands while talking on his cell phone outside the Mansfield Room in the Capitol on Jan. 8, 2015.
Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) sanitizes his hands while talking on his cell phone outside the Mansfield Room in the Capitol on Jan. 8, 2015.

Hats In The Hallways

Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) walks with her family through the Will Rogers Hallway after the swearing-in of the 114th Congress on the House floor on Jan. 6, 2015.
Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) walks with her family through the Will Rogers Hallway after the swearing-in of the 114th Congress on the House floor on Jan. 6, 2015.

Baby Face

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) holds Andrea Elena Castro, daughter of Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), second from right, before the 114th Congress was sworn in on the House floor of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2015.
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) holds Andrea Elena Castro, daughter of Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), second from right, before the 114th Congress was sworn in on the House floor of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2015.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.