While Pelosi, Schumer, Meadows, and Mnuchin have met for three days in a row, there is little sign of progress in a deal to provide the necessary aid to millions of Americans without jobs. They plan to meet again on Thursday.
And Pelosi had He has already rejected a “fragmentary” approach, arguing that Republicans should have started negotiations weeks ago.
Democrats introduced their own bill in May to stop the evictions and keep the additional $ 600 in benefits through the end of the year. But Republicans, who launched their own proposal Monday, argue that additional unemployment aid discourages work. Instead, the Republican Senate Party is pushing to reduce that additional $ 600 to a temporary fixed payment of $ 200 for 60 days to allow state systems to offer a 70 percent salary replacement.
Democrats and Republicans are in such conflict in the upcoming coronavirus aid package that both Mnuchin and Meadows have suggested a so-called skinny deal, which would tackle narrower problems one at a time.
On Wednesday, the couple met with Republican presidents to ask for ideas as well.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) Blamed Pelosi in the Senate on Wednesday for refusing to negotiate unemployment aid, suggesting the House “will not allow a package to go ahead unless we continue paying people more so they don’t work. “
“When it’s time to make a law, Democrats would rather keep political issues alive than find a bipartisan way to resolve them,” said the Kentucky Republican.
Schumer responded to McConnell, saying that “the fact that leader McConnell even considered the idea that a political party could deny support to the American people to help win an election says more about the Republican leader than anyone else.”
One of the biggest problems in the negotiations is the price. Democrats are pushing for the $ 3 trillion Heroes Bill that passed the House in May. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans are scared by the increased deficit, meanwhile, they want to keep the package close to $ 1 trillion. Another trouble spot is state and local aid. Democrats are pushing for about $ 1 trillion in state and local money, which Republicans oppose. Instead, Republicans are pushing for more state flexibility in using the funds.
Republicans are highlighting a new report from the Treasury Department’s Inspector General that showed that nearly three-quarters of the money awarded has not been distributed to local and municipal governments. Instead, data and media reports from different states suggest that governors maintain tight control over most funds.
McConnell is also making clear that any bill that passes the Senate must include liability protection for companies concerned about being sued for coronavirus infections, something Democrats are resisting.
House Democrats have ripped apart the proposal from the Republican Senate Party, which they say is not a serious enough effort to even start negotiations between the two parties.
“When we have a reasonable bill put forward by Senate Republicans for us to discuss, let’s discuss our differences,” said Speaker of the House of Representatives Democratic House of Representatives Hakeem Jeffries, who declined to comment on the republican lawsuits such as liability changes.
“Half of the Republicans in the Senate don’t even seem to support the Republican Senate Coronavirus Bill,” said Jeffries. “It is an inhuman, cruel and ruthless response.”
John Bresnahan and Max Cohen contributed to this report.
