Nancy Pelosi
Photographer: Amanda Andrade-Rhoades / Bloomberg
Photographer: Amanda Andrade-Rhoades / Bloomberg
Moderate swing-state Democrats in the House are increasing their pressure on Speaker Nancy Pelosi to resume halted stimulus talks with Republicans.
Members of the Blue Dog coalition, a group of 26 fiscally conservative Democrats, are asking Pelosi, Democratic leader of the House of Representatives Chuck Schumer, Republican faction leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to use a Saturday House vote on a U.S. Postal Service bill as an opportunity to resume negotiations.
“While the Second Chamber is preparing to vote this weekend on a bill to the United States of America Post Office, we urge you to start bipartisan, two-chamber negotiations on a fifth COVID-19 relief package commensurate with the scale of this public health and economic crisis, ”the group said in a letter to leaders that will be sent soon as of Thursday and was received by Bloomberg News.
It calls for a compromise, stating that “the reality is that only two-party solutions provide much-needed support, and that in principle requires compromise by both parties.”
The trouble comes at a time when the Department of Labor reported that unemployment initiatives ended unexpectedly in the week to August 15 to more than 1.1 million, an increase of 135,000 the week before. Economists warn that without Congress action the US risks slipping into a prolonged recession.
Stimulus talks between Pelosi and Schumer and the White House continued on August 7 after Democrats offered to reduce their $ 3.5 trillion demand by $ 1 trillion and the White House refused to accept more than the roughly $ 1 trillion it on the table had set. President Donald Trump has since taken action to create a $ 300-a-week benefit from disaster relief funds, but that could be difficult to implement and is expected to materialize in a few weeks’ time.
Impass remains
McConnell said on Thursday that the Republican position has not changed and that talks remain on an accident.
“We are just a long way from now,” McConnell said at the event in his home state of Kentucky. “I hope we can get past that, but I can’t predict today.”
The Blue Dog letter states that the next incentive agreement should extend extended additional unemployment benefits, include an immediate incentive payment, increase spending oversight, extend the extended tax credit for employee benefits, and include support to state and local governments.
The letter does not explicitly insist on the $ 600 per week unemployment benefits demanded by Pelosi and other leaders so far, instead seeking “at a level sufficient to enable beneficiaries for their families and their local to support economies. ” It also does not specify a dollar amount for state and local aid. Democrats have raised $ 915 billion in the talks and Republicans have offered $ 150 billion, with the difference being the biggest gap in the negotiations.
The letter was organized by representatives Stephanie Murphy of Florida, Tom O’Halleran of Arizona, Lou Correa of California and Anthony Brindisi of New York.
Earlier this week, 117 members of the House of Representatives wrote to the leadership seeking a vote this weekend on a bill that would extend the $ 600-a-week benefit and link the week’s expiration to unemployment rates . A senior Democratic aide said a vote on the measure was not planned, however.
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows this week called on Democrats to meet again over incentives and the White House indicated it could be open to funding the $ 25 postal service that Democrats have sought. There was no indication of a Republican willingness to agree to the $ 2 trillion total spending that Democrats are asking for.
– With the help of Laura Litvan
.
