Supporters of a $48 billion small-business aid bill to help restaurants and select other industries that suffered revenue losses during the pandemic are lobbying senators to back it ahead of a key procedural vote Thursday.
But the pleas may not be enough for most Republicans suffering from deficit-spending fatigue after lawmakers approved over $5 trillion worth of COVID-19 relief since 2020.
“My understanding is there may be the votes to stop that,” Senate Small Business ranking member Rand Paul, R-Ky., said Wednesday ahead of the cloture vote on the motion to proceed, which requires 60 votes for adoption.
