“We want to make sure that we can extend the user interface, but having the technical solution and not paying people more to stay home, that’s obviously a ridiculous concept,” Mnuchin said after the meeting. “We were always on the same page, this is a technical solution. We now believe that states will be able to transition to this new system. “
“Much more was written about the disagreements than there were actually disagreements,” added Meadows. “So I think it’s important to note that it was a great headline, but it wasn’t really based on real events in terms of real discussions that were taking place. “
The current $ 600 increase in unemployment benefits from the March CARES Act begins to expire this weekend.
The presence of two top administration officials on Capitol Hill on a Saturday afternoon with no senators around was not typical. Mnuchin and Meadows will also make media appearances on Sunday.
The president and his administration are pushing to increase unemployment payments that would constitute 70 percent of workers’ earnings. Republican Party sources said the White House is raising new demands as part of the proposal, including manufacturing incentives.
“We are reviewing various sections to make sure the details match our understanding of what should be there, checking out some of the manufacturing incentives to make sure we can support American jobs,” Meadows said before the meeting.
The White House insists it wants to reach an agreement with Democrats on another important package of coronavirus. But so far there has been little sense of urgency.
When asked about comments from Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi that she would not take an “unsystematic” approach to the package, Meadows said that decision will be up to her and McConnell.
“If you are not willing to rebuild it, I think there will be several people who could be hurt because of that decision that is not based on anything other than your personal negotiating tactic,” said Meadows.
Mnuchin spoke to Pelosi (D-Calif) on Friday, but the two sides are not close to reaching an agreement. Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) insist on a full extension of the $ 600 increase to the unemployment benefits allocated in the March Care Act until next year. They also seek hundreds of billions in state and local aid.
The White House and McConnell, however, are pushing for a $ 1 trillion package. Mnuchin said Saturday that they had already accepted Pelosi’s request for $ 100 billion for schools, which was included in the Hero Act passed by the House in May.
