Pelosi and Schumer accuse Trump of negotiating with money for the FBI headquarters

Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiWhite House, Republican Senate race to finalize coronavirus package ahead of Monday deployment Congress is slated for disorderly COVID-19 talks on deadlines on Sunday: coronavirus relief, stimulus talks dominate MORE (D-Calif.) And minority leader of the Senate Charles SchumerChuck Schumer Republican Senators push for stimulus checks to be carried out on nearly 2 million people excluded from the American White House, Congress talks about the upcoming coronavirus relief bill as COVID-19 continues to increase Schumer announces that Blue Jays will play the season in Buffalo MORE (DN.Y.) accused on Monday President TrumpDonald John Trump Biden to pay tribute to Lewis on Capitol Hill Monday. Cotton asked for comments on slavery in criticism of the 1619 Draft Congress slated for disorderly COVID-19 talks on a tight deadline. -negotiation process to pressure Senate Republicans to include in their coronavirus relief proposal $ 1.75 billion to rebuild the FBI headquarters on Pennsylvania Avenue in central Washington.

Democrats suspect Trump is pushing for money to rebuild the FBI headquarters in downtown DC so he doesn’t move out of his space on 9th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue and leave open a main property that could be occupied by a new hotel that It would represent serious competition for the Trump International Hotel across the street.

“They don’t have money for food stamps, but they do have money for an FBI building just so they can lessen competition for the president’s hotel,” Pelosi told reporters after meeting with the Treasury Secretary. Steven MnuchinSteven Terner Mnuchin White House, Republican Senate race to finalize coronavirus package ahead of Monday deployment Congress is slated for disorderly COVID-19 talks on deadlines on Sunday. and chief of staff of the White House Mark MeadowsMark Randall Meadows White House, Republican Senate race to finalize coronavirus package before deployment Monday. Congress is slated for disorderly COVID-19 talks on deadlines on Sunday. the Monday in the afternoon

Pelosi later told reporters that Trump wants to renovate the FBI’s headquarters on Pennsylvania Avenue “so that no one can build a hotel across the street” from the Trump International Hotel.

Schumer also criticized the president for the assignment.

“They managed to have enough money for $ 2 billion for the FBI headquarters that benefits the Trump hotel, and they say they have no money for food assistance. What the hell is going on? “Schumer said.

“We just found out it was in it as we read it,” he said, describing the surprise of finding the FBI provision buried in the Republican Party proposal.

Pelosi and Schumer asked senior White House officials about rebuilding the FBI headquarters at the meeting.

Even Senate Republicans did not seem enthusiastic about adding money for a new FBI headquarters at a time when they tried to keep out provisions not directly related to the response to the pandemic.

Leader of the Senate majority Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnell White House, Republican Senate race to finalize coronavirus package ahead of Monday deployment Congress prepares for messy COVID-19 talks about tight deadline AFSCME launches announcement asking for billions in aid aid for local governments MORE (R-Ky.) He told reporters during a press conference Monday that he did not know that the money for the FBI headquarters was included.

“You will have to ask them why they insisted that it be included,” he said, pointing journalists to the White House.

When asked why the special allocation for the FBI was included in the Republican proposal, the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee Richard ShelbyRichard Craig Shelby Monuchin makes deficit hawks nervous in talks over the relief bill The Republican Senate criticizes the coronavirus package next week Romney will oppose the Trump Fed candidate who endorsed the gold standard MORE (R-Ala.) He told reporters: “Good question.”

“This is a proposal from the administration to move forward with the FBI. They need a new FBI building. It is not safe to work on it, and they are talking about reducing it anyway, ”he said.

But the Republican Party’s chief lawmaker admitted that the “link” between the pandemic and the need for a new FBI headquarters is a “stretch.”