Next steps on economic legislation to address coronavirus still unclear after Trump briefing

President Trump pitched temporary payroll tax cuts as part of an emergency proposal to boost the economy amid the coronavirus outbreak during a meeting with Republican senators Tuesday afternoon, but the lawmakers emerged without a clear legislative plan to move forward.

“It’s clear the administration is seriously considering the fiscal stimulus,” Sen. John Kennedy, Louisiana Republican, told reporters. “What that will be, I don’t think anybody’s decided yet.”

Senate Appropriations Chair Richard Shelby said while the payroll tax cut was discussed at the closed-door meeting with the president, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow, there weren’t any specific numbers on how much it will cost.

One Republican senator, however, floated a $300 billion price tag.

So far several Republicans — including Mr. Kennedy, Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana, and Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina — are hesitant to embrace the president’s proposal. They feel that a more targeted approach, whether it be for small businesses or certain industries, could be better for the economy.

“I’ll have to sit down and think about the money [and] that cost,” Mr. Graham said. “Could it be better applied to sectors of the economy that are going to be hit.”