HOLIDAY PRESS
In an early turn of events in an already bizarre negotiation over a fifth incentive package, House Democrats are urging Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to move on to an incentive bill that includes a second incentive check and additional unemployment benefits.
The question everyone thinks is when they listen to their pleasures. Here’s what we know.
Stimulus package negotiations
During negotiations with Republican leaders, Ms. Pelosi declined an offer to extend the $ 600 unemployment benefit while the parties continued negotiations. They also refused to budget for a $ 600 benefit, even though paying the average unemployed claimant resulted in 134% of their advance income. Republicans had proposed a $ 400 benefit, which was recommended by a bilingual group of economists and would replace 80 to 90% of an income of an average worker. They also refused this offer.
Ms Pelosi also refused an offer to provide a more targeted incentive bill based on those items on which the parties agreed. Chief among them was an incentive check of $ 1200, which was one area of common ground.
When negotiations ended two weeks ago, President Trump signed an executive memorandum authorizing FEMA to fund a weekly $ 300 weekly unemployment benefit. Although this action offers some relief, it is not as extensive as one authorized by Congress and it is of limited duration. He also signed executive actions on an eviction moratorium, student loan relief, and a tax evasion holiday.
Besibbe: See which states have applied for the $ 300 unemployment benefit
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Both the House and the Senate resigned without an incentive package. As a result, many have assumed that an incentive action would only reach until after Labor Day, at the earliest. Yet, in another early turn of the House, Mrs Pelosi called back from her summer break to save the postal service. ‘
She is planning a vote this weekend on the Delivering for America Act, which would provide funding for the Postal Service and prohibit the Postal Service from making certain operational changes to save money. Although the purpose of bringing the House back into session was the Postal Service, many see it as an opportunity to vote on certain incentives and to resume negotiations.
Rep Axne Letter to Pelosi
While Democratic leaders continued to negotiate outside of incentives, one of the first signs that they were growing impatient with their leadership was a letter to Mrs. Pelosi of Rep. Cindy Axne (D-Iowa). Dated Aug. 19, the letter asked Ms. Pelosi to “provide a simplified, straightforward COVID-19 relief package.” The letter notes that their “voters and millions of others rely on us to reach a deal that can provide much-needed assistance to those who are still threatened by COVID-19.”
The letter calls for extended unemployment benefits by at least the end of the year, an eviction moratorium, continuation of the Payroll Protection Program, and another incentive check, among others. Rep. Axne stated that there were many ideas that they agreed with the Senate, and she expressed optimism that they could pass these short measures in a COVID relief package in short order, thus closing the gap of differences to hammer between our House Majority and the administration. ”
She was also critical of both the Heroes Act and the HEALS Act. Regarding the Heroes Act, adopted by the House Democrats in May, she said,
‘Finally, I must point out that the following package does not include any special benefits and handouts. The Heroes Act included many important policies that would have helped everyone – but it also included handouts that had nothing to do with Americans helping in this crisis. By including issues such as taxes that benefit the rich overwhelmingly, $ 100 million for charter fisheries, expanded PPP qualification for major oil and pharmaceutical lobby groups, we do not let the focus prove that the American people are asking us. “
New Democratic coalition letter to Pelosi
On the same day, 117 House Democrats, who are part of the New Democratic Coalition, also sent a letter to Ms. Pelosi. They urge them, in addition to taking over the postal service issue, to also consider legislation such as the Labor and Security Act. This bill would provide a $ 600 weekly unemployment benefit.
Instead of a specific end date, however, it would “extend the $ 600 weekly federal unemployment benefit by the duration of the national COVID-19 public health emergency, provide unlimited weeks for unemployment coverage until January 2021, and then continue to improve. compensation and additional coverage weeks determined by national and state total unemployment. ”
Blue dog coalition letter to Pelosi
The Blue Dog Coalition consists of 26 fiscally responsible Democrats. As reported by Bloomberg, the coalition has prepared a letter urging Ms. Pelosi, Democratic leader of the House of Representatives Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Group Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Leader of the House First Chamber of Deputies Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to resume stimulating negotiations this weekend: “While the House of Representatives is preparing to vote this weekend on a bill to protect the U.S. Postal Service, we urge you to restart bipartisan, bicameral negotiations on a fifth Covid-19 relief package commensurate with the scale of this public health and economic crisis. ”
The letter says that the next incentive letter should provide improved unemployment benefits and, among other things, an incentive check. It does not identify a specific amount for unemployment benefits.
Pelosi writes her own letter
So far, Mrs. Pelosi is not jumping. She stated in a PBS NewsHour interview that the House of Representatives would not vote on an unemployment package this weekend. She explained that she does not think “strategically it’s where we need to go right now because Republicans want to pass on such a thing and forget about [other stimulus programs]. ”
In a letter to their Democratic colleagues in the Second Chamber, they complimented the brilliant ideas they put forward. However, she said her timing and strategic value should be considered: ‘we need to consider her timing and strategic value. They can not afford to tackle the priorities of the Heroes Act – especially support for our heroes in state and local government and education, who are in crisis. “
Assistance to state and local governments has been a sticking point in previous negotiations. The Heroes Act requires $ 915 billion in funding, although most experts believe that state and local governments need no more than $ 500 billion. Republicans offered $ 150 billion during negotiations.
The question remains how long Mrs Pelosi can resist calls from her own party to pass on some level of incentive. Mr. Trump and Republicans have expressed a willingness to pass on what some call a “lean” incentive bill. And while playing hardball can be a ridiculous negotiation tactic in some circumstances, one wonders how much more financial pain the American people can endure.
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