
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. senators returned to Washington for the first time in nearly six weeks on Monday, amid concerns that their legislative sessions could put lawmakers and staff at risk of contracting the new coronavirus.
The Senate was due to reconvene at 3 p.m. ET (1900 GMT) to address partisan differences over the next step in legislation to combat the pandemic and to scrutinize a series of nominations for senior government posts put forward by President Donald Trump.
Democrats and Republicans are at odds over the contents of any new coronavirus legislation. Democrats want up to $1 trillion to help state and local governments weather the brunt of the pandemic. Republicans are demanding liability protections for businesses, which Democrats oppose, as a condition for moving forward on any…