The White House and top Republicans in the Senate are pouring cold water at the prospect of an extension of unemployment in the short term.
Republican senators were discussing a short-term extension to provide a patch between the expiration of a $ 600-a-week increase and the upcoming congressional aid bill.
“We are really trying to try to make sure we have a comprehensive bill that addresses the issues. Any short-term extension would challenge the history of Congress, indicating that only another short-term extension would be met,” chief of white house cabinet Mark Meadows
Mark Randall MeadowsCoronavirus Talks About Splitting Republican Party Unity on Money: McConnell Anticipates Republican Party Coronavirus Bill | Senate panel advances Trump Fed candidate who recently endorsed the gold standard | Economists Warn of Reduced Unemployment Benefits Democrats Criticize Republican Party on Coronavirus Relief: Where’s Your Bill? PLUS he told reporters on Wednesday.
Insisting on whether he was saying he preferred to address unemployment benefits as part of a larger coronavirus package, Meadows added: “We are optimistic that we can continue to find a real solution and hope to reach a compromise.”
Senator John Thune
John Randolph ThuneCoronavirus Talks About Fracture Republican Party Unity Republican Party Discusses Linking K-12 Funds To In-Person Classes White House Doubles On Payroll Tax Cut Republican Senators Oppose (SD), the Republican Party’s No. 2 senator, also seemed to question the wisdom of punishing the fight for unemployment.
“Ideally, having that deadline next week gives us a reason to try to do this, it puts pressure on the process,” Thune said. “I don’t think anybody is going to want a short-term solution.”
Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee Chuck grassley
Charles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleyCoronavirus talks about fracture Republican Party unit The White House doubles in reducing payroll taxes that Republican senators oppose Don’t bail out ethanol MORE (R-Iowa), who added that he was not part of the talks, questioned the need for the extension.
“If you continue in one way or another, no one will lose in a week or two. They are going to get the money, ”she said.
As part of a March coronavirus relief package, Congress approved a federal increase of $ 600 per week in unemployment benefits. But that improvement will expire next week, probably before negotiators can reach an agreement and approve another coronavirus package.
What a short-term extension would look like was still under discussion by Republican senators on Wednesday.
“The discussions come down to duration, how long and at what price,” said the senator. John Barrasso
John Anthony Barrasso Sunday shows a preview: Coronavirus raises questions about school safety; Trump Commutes Roger Stone’s Sentence, Republican Senate Seeks To Attend Trump Convention Amid Coronavirus Rise Court Defends Protections For Yellowstone Brown Bears MORE (R-Wyo.)
A House-passed bill would continue to improve unemployment benefits until the end of the year. But Republicans have called the sum of $ 600 a week an “error.”
They have been discussing how to structure unemployment benefits as part of their next proposal, with options ranging from completely reducing the $ 600 per week increase to trying to reduce it so that it is no more than 100 percent of wages as an individual. won before.
President Trump
Donald John Trump More than a dozen people injured in shootings near Chicago funeral home Players of the Cleveland Indians meet with team leaders to discuss the possible name change Pelosi calls the coronavirus the ‘Trump virus’ MORE He seemed to acknowledge this week at the White House that they were discussing the continued rise in unemployment benefits, but significantly below the current level.
“They are thinking of making 70 percent of the amount. The amount would be the same, but do it in slightly smaller starting amounts so that people want to go back to work, instead of making so much money that they really don’t have to, “he said.
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