One proposal driven by several Democrats is a package of economic measures that would automatically extend unemployment benefits to millions of Americans as the economic and health crisis continues. The push was led for months by the centrist New Democrat Coalition, which plans to send a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on Monday night. So far, more than 75 Democrats have signed up to the letter. It has also won support from Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, a co-leader of the influential Progressive Caucus Congress.
Another idea for discussion is to vote a floor on an estimate of about $ 2 trillion in relief – a distributed version of what Democrats passed in May. That proposal would have made the compromise offer made by Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York during unsuccessful negotiations with White House officials. Rep. Louisiana Cedric Richmond, who serves as the liaison between House Democrats and the Biden campaign, suggested such a move on a Democratic caucus call on Monday, according to multiple sources.
“I think if we have to pass a bill that says, ‘This is what we’re ready to do,’ then I’m all for that,” Cisneros said, expressing support for Richmond’s proposal. Cisneros, who is a member of the New Democrats, said he also supports the automatic stabilization plan. “I think it’s a great idea to have them in their place so we don’t have to come back and vote so things don’t come up.”
The pressure from some Democrats to vote more to save the nation’s sputtering economy – even after the House passed its own $ 3.5 trillion package in May – comes as millions of unemployed Americans grow increasingly desperate for the recent time in federal security net programs.
Federal unemployment benefits expired at the end of July, as did a federal moratorium on evolutions. President Donald Trump published several executive actions to try to address the concerns about unemployment and eviction, but even White House officials acknowledged that they were far short of a legislative solution. A number of business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said Tuesday that Trump’s move to defer tax cuts is “unworkable.”
Meanwhile, talks on a two-part recovery package remain silent. Pelosi and Schumer have not had a personal meeting since Aug. 7 with the Trump administration’s leading negotiators, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
Pelosi and Schumer have opened the door to a slightly less expensive package, telling Republicans that they are ready to pass on a package that costs roughly $ 2 trillion, instead of nearly $ 3.5 trillion. First Republicans are pushing their own package this week, though it will fall far short of Democratic demands – and offer little hope of renegotiating.
Pelosi boasted Tuesday that public pressure on Postmaster General Louis DeJoy forced him to stop his postal service renovation, but said the House still needs to act on Saturday to provide more money.
Many of those Democrats are pushing for more economic relief measures against tough races this fall, in which voters are frustrated to see growth after Congress fumble over partisan bills for months, according to multiple lawmakers and staff. Most also represent districts that have been severely affected by the public health and economic crisis.
‘I would like to see us do something economically related while we are there,’ Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.), A newcomer living in a swing district in Nevada, where she said the local economy is on the brink of serious, serious collapse. ”
“I think we’re all frustrated, but you have to see what Democrats have proposed, and what Republicans have proposed,” Lee said. “We did our job, the Senate failed its job.”
Horsford said his district has faced not only records and deaths, but also a cramped economy, as Nevada’s tourism sector has just disappeared. The state’s unemployment rate, once at a very low 3.6 percent, rose to 30 percent at one point during the crisis.
“People are really at a breaking point,” Horsford said.
