Talks on an additional aid package have restarted
Long-delayed talks on an additional relief package intensified on Tuesday. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi convened other top congressional leaders for a meeting.
Pelosi spoke with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for more than an hour. He will also join a conference call of the Capitol Hill ‘Big Four’ leaders.
Starting the activity could be a sign that an agreement is approaching.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is playing a strong role in the negotiations. He is putting pressure on Democrats to drop their demand for a $1.46 trillion aid package for states and local governments in financial crisis.
Pelosi nevertheless requested help for struggling states and local governments in a conversation with Mnuchin on Monday.
However, President-elect Biden's top Democratic allies supported the $748 billion plan offered by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, signaling that they will not insist on fighting for state and local aid now.
„We cannot afford to keep waiting. This should not be Congress's last coronavirus relief bill. It is a strong compromise that deserves the support of both Republicans and Democrats in the Senate,“ said Senator C. Coons. „We cannot go on recess without providing relief to those citizens who need it.“
A bipartisan group of lawmakers has presented a detailed COVID-19 relief proposal. However, the group failed to reach a compromise regarding the provisions sought by the GOP. These are provisions that protect businesses from lawsuits related to the pandemic situation.
„We should continue with what we can agree on,“ McConnell said.
The $748 billion relief package contains money for businesses, the unemployed, schools, and vaccine distribution. Discussions about an additional package must also include these issues.
Unresolved issues in the negotiations include a possible second round of payments to citizens, $300 per week for the unemployed, and state and local aid.
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SOURCE: CHICAGO TRIBUNE PHOTO: UNSPLASH
