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Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement posted on twitter Tuesday that he spoke to President Nancy Pelosi tonight and made an offer of $ 916 billion for a coronavirus relief bill, little more than the package presented by a bipartisan group of lawmakers the last week.
Congress remains deadlocked on including provisions on state and local funding that Democrats seek and Senate accountability protections, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has given priority. Mnuchin said the offer included funding for state and local governments as well as liability protections.
“As part of this proposal, we will fund it using $ 140 billion from the paycheck protection program and $ 429 billion from treasury funds,” Mnuchin said, adding that he had spoken with the president, McConnell and Minority Parliamentary Leader Kevin McCarthy on the proposal. However, he did not say that President Trump would be ready to sign a bill based on that offer.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Pelosi said in a statement that it was “progress” that McConnell had “signed a $ 916 billion offer based on the bipartisan framework,” but they said President Trump’s proposal “must not be allowed. to obstruct the ongoing bipartisan Congressional negotiations.” They also rejected part of the White House proposal – a reduction in UI funding by 180 billion dollars to 40 billion dollars. “This is unacceptable,” they wrote.
Earlier on Tuesday, Congress Democrats rejected McConnell’s offer on a coronavirus relief bill, after suggesting that the more controversial elements be left out in the next proposal and resumed for continued negotiations. next year.
At a press conference on Tuesday, the majority leader pitched the idea of dropping negotiations on these issues and passing a smaller bill.
“We can’t leave without a COVID package,” McConnell said. “I have a suggestion to make, that the two most contentious points be put aside.”
But Democrats were quick to dismiss McConnell’s speech, arguing it undermined ongoing negotiations. A bipartisan group of lawmakers are working to finalize language for a $ 908 billion relief package, which would also include provisions on state and local aid and liability shields.
“State and local funding is bipartisan, unlike the extreme corporate accountability proposition that leader McConnell has made, which lacks Democratic backing,” Schumer told reporters on Tuesday, adding that McConnell was trying to “pull the rug from under” the bipartisan group of negotiators. .
In a statement later Tuesday, Pelosi called McConnell’s remarks “appalling.” Schumer and Pelosi said the bipartisan cadre should be the basis of the ongoing negotiations.
“Chief McConnell’s efforts to undermine good faith bipartisan negotiations are appalling,” Pelosi said, noting that vaccine distribution would be administered by state and local governments. “Biparty negotiations involving Senators and House Members have progressed well and must be allowed to proceed without the obstruction of Leader McConnell.”
Mnuchin spoke to Pelosi just moments after his statement on McConnell’s comments hit the press.
The window is closing for Congress to pass a package, as several policies and relief programs expire by the end of the year. Congress must also vote to maintain government funding, and members of both chambers have expressed hope that this will be done through an omnibus spending bill for the year, rather than a draft short-term law. continuous resolution this would only expand spending to current levels.
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