It’s Tuesday, the traditional day for elections and for our pause-and-consider newsletter on politics and policy. 

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CORONAVIRUS AND CONGRESS
By Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews
Correspondent

Both the novel coronavirus itself and the politics surrounding it are moving at an increasingly fast pace. (Here is our map of its spread.) At least half a dozen members of Congress have self-quarantined for exposure, including multiple members who had close contact with President Donald Trump. (We are not including a specific number of members because, like many things in this story, it changes quickly.)

Congress and the president are both drafting plans to try to shore up the economy and help affected workers.

What’s happening right now:
- President Trump and Republicans are focusing on a possible payroll tax cut which would increase paychecks temporarily during the outbreak.

- Democrats in Congress are not entirely sold on that idea and instead want to prioritize funds for sick leave for workers who do not have paid sick time, as well as food assistance for low-income communities and children whose schools may close.

Watch this space and our show tonight for more details. We are watching this closely, of course.

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BIDEN AND SANDERS
By Lisa Desjardins

It is voting day! In six states! And these Democratic primaries (and one caucus!) mark a turning point in the campaign, when more than half of all convention delegates will be decided.

The race had 10 major candidates last month. And it is now down to three: former Vice President Joe Biden, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, R-Hawaii, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Of those three, just Biden and Sanders have significant delegate counts.

We thought it would be a good time to look past the ads and speeches and lay out where each of the top candidates stand on key issues for Democratic voters. Starting with the top issue for Democrats: health care. Candidates are in alphabetical order.

HEALTH CARE

Biden’s plan ([link removed]) :
* Main idea: A public option.
* What does that mean? An optional government health care plan that Biden says is “Medicare-like” and one which all Americans can choose.
* Who gets government healthcare? Any American who wants it. People making 138% or below the federal poverty level may be automatically enrolled. Others would have to enroll.
* What happens to private health insurance? It remains. The government plan would compete with it.
* What do individuals pay? Premiums would be capped at 8.5% of income for all Americans. Deductibles and copays would be lower than under current Obamacare plans for many people, the campaign says. Biden would raise capital gains taxes for some people who own stocks, so the highest rate is 39.6%.
* What do employers pay? It is unclear if he would increase any charges on employers, who could continue to offer private insurance plans.
* Cost? $750 - $800 billion over 10 years, according to Biden and the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Fiscal Budget. ([link removed])


Sanders’ plan ([link removed]) :
* Main idea: “Medicare for all.”
* What does that mean? A national, single-payer health insurance program. This means that the government would be the sole health coverage provider.
* Who gets government health care? “All Americans,” per the campaign.
* What happens to private health insurance? It is eliminated.
* What do individuals pay? Premiums: Sanders is considering a premium charge of 4% of one’s income, exempting the first $29,000. Deductibles and copays? None. Sanders is considering raising taxes on the wealthy to help pay for this.
* What do employers pay? Sanders is considering a charge of 7.5% of income for employers, exempting the first $2 million in payroll.
* Cost? $14 trillion - $28 trillion. The lower figure is per the campaign, the higher is per nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Fiscal Budget ([link removed]) .


HIGHER EDUCATION

Biden: Two years of debt-free community college ([link removed]) or equivalent skills training. $10,000 a year up to five years toward student debt relief in return for public service. Cost: $750 billion, according to the campaign.

Sanders: Pay forall tuition and debt-free attendance at public colleges and universities. ([link removed]) Cancel the current $1.6 trillion in student loan debt. Cost: $2.2 trillion, according to the campaign.

CHILD CARE AND PRE-K

Biden: No plan currently ([link removed]) from his campaign.

Sanders: Pay for child care or pre-Kindergarten ([link removed]) for all children too young for school. Cost: $1.5 Trillion, per Sanders campaign.

CLIMATE

Biden: With his “Climate Energy Revolution” ([link removed]) plan, Biden’s goal is to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Cost $1.7 trillion ([link removed]) , funded in part by eliminating tax cuts enacted by the Trump administration.

Sanders: With his “Green New Deal ([link removed]) ,” Sanders pledges to move the U.S. to 100% renewable energy by 2030 and totally end carbon emissions here by 2050. Cost: $16.3 trillion ([link removed]) , funded in part by new fees on fossil fuels.

GUNS

Biden: Ban sale of assault weapons ([link removed]) and high-capacity magazines. Mandate registration or sale to the government of all current assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Require background checks for all gun purchases and close several “loopholes” in the process.

Sanders: Ban sale of assault weapons ([link removed]) and high-capacity magazines. Expand background checks and close some “loopholes.”

FIVE OVERLOOKED POLITICAL STORIES FROM THE PAST WEEK
By Alex D’Elia, @ ([link removed]) AlexDEliaNews
Politics production assistant

Bloomberg aides cut loose despite year-long employment promise ([link removed]) -- March 9. Bloomberg’s shuttered campaign is terminating employees and asking them to reapply for jobs with his newly independent committee aimed at helping Democrats defeat President Donald Trump. Why it matters: The billionaire -- who poured more than 500 million dollars into his own campaign -- made the pledge to employ staff through November with the goal of defeating Trump. -- POLITICO

Trump welcomes Brazil’s Bolsonaro but leaves tariffs on the table ([link removed]) -- March 7. President Donald Trump hosted the “Trump of the Tropics,” as Bolsonaro has been nicknamed, at this Mar-a-Lago resort, further cementing one of the closest relationships in the Western Hemisphere. Why it matters: Despite his strong relationship with Bolsonaro, Trump did not refute the possibility of implementing steel and iron tariffs on Brazil. -- The New York Times

Social networks haven't done enough to prevent voter manipulation, tech leaders say ([link removed]) -- March 10. Eighty-nine percent of technology experts say that social media companies have not done enough to prevent voter manipulation in 2020. Why it matters: Disinformation on social media platforms was a major issue during the 2016 campaigns, and experts say that media companies -- and lawmakers -- have not taken adequate measures to protect from foreign interference on their platforms in 2020. -- The Washington Post

2020 Census to kick off this week ([link removed]) -- March 9. In just two days, the first of 112 million households will begin the process to fill out online Census forms. Why it matters: As questions over disinformation rise, and as trust in the government declines, officials are concerned about whether they’ll get the participation -- and data -- they need. -- The Wall Street Journal

Coronavirus: California gas prices to drop as economy ‘dancing on a knife’s edge’ ([link removed]) -- March 10. Californians can expect to see their gas prices drop for at least the next month, according to experts. Why it matters: This is just one example of the economic impact of the coronavirus that we can continue to see across the country and the globe. Low gas prices are good for the consumer in the short term, but the economic volatility could ultimately be harmful in the long term. -- San Francisco Chronicle

#POLITICSTRIVIA
By Kate Grumke, @KGrumke ([link removed])
Politics producer

Over the weekend, the AFL-CIO canceled a presidential campaign forum in Florida amid fears over the novel coronavirus. Ohio is moving polling locations out of nursing homes and Washington and is advising voters to use wet sponges to seal their mail-in ballot envelopes.

This isn’t the first time an outbreak had some effect on an election -- another global outbreak happened during a past midterm. Despite fears, the election was held and there wasn’t a national debate about its legitimacy.

Our question: What year did that U.S. midterm election coincide with an epidemic? And for a bonus point, what was the outbreak?

Send your answers to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.

Last week, we asked: The first official Super Tuesday was likely during the 1984 election. How many states held their primaries and caucuses on March 13, 1984? The answer is 9 states.

Congratulations to our winners: Nancy Bird and Barry Weinstein!!

Thank you all for reading and watching. We’ll drop into your Inbox next week.

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