Mark Meadows puts on a protective mask after speaking to members of the media at the US Capitol on August 22.
Photographer: Al Drago / Bloomberg
Photographer: Al Drago / Bloomberg
White House staffer Mark Meadows returned to the U.S. Capitol on Saturday in a bid to pressure Democrats to accept a comprehensive economic stimulus call after weeks of deadlock.
The House of Representatives has convened for a rare Saturday afternoon to vote on a $ 25 billion bill for the U.S. Postal Service. Meadows argued that funding for small business and other economic provisions should be added to the bill, saying he met with rank and file Democratic and Republican lawmakers to discuss possible paths to a compromise.
Meadows and his entourage also went to Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office suite in an improvised attempt to satisfy the stimulus attack, and was told she was in a meeting. Pelosi and the White House broke off stimulus talks on August 7 and have not met since.
‘If they want to sign a contract with the president of the United States of America “On behalf of the American people, the president is ready to do that,” Meadows told reporters. “At the same time, this deal should be based on real numbers and real problems that are urgent in relation to their need to address, and not on a partisan wish list.”
Meadows said he would call the speaker later on resuming negotiations and that he was optimistic that a deal could be reached on funding postal services, direct incentive controls for Americans, expanded unemployment insurance, help for small businesses, and help for schools.
“These problems are not as divisive as one might think,” said the former North Carolina representative, adding that Democrats will have to drop demands for state and local aid of about $ 1 trillion. That help, he said, is not based on real needs.
Pelosi previously told reporters that Meadows, with whom she refers to as “what is his name”, proposed a plan that would lead to millions lay offs of workers in the public sector, and would also endanger the safety of school children because it supports the reopening of schools.
“His list is very short,” Pelosi said, adding that Democrats are ready to talk about Republicans doubling their total supply of incentives to $ 1 trillion.
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