Pelosi Boasts About 'Progress' on Stimulus Deal, but Blames Republicans for Delays
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said there had been "progress" on economic stimulus deal but also blamed Republicans for ongoing delays.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump pushed for the stimulus deal through a tweet. "OUR GREAT USA WANTS & NEEDS STIMULUS. WORK TOGETHER AND GET IT DONE," he wrote.
In an interview with CBS News' Face the Nation, Pelosi was asked if the tweet meant a stimulus deal had been reached. But she said that wasn't the case.
She said there was progress and they were closer to a deal, but there were delays.
For her, those delays were being caused by Republicans holding up further stimulus. "It just depends on if they understand what we have to do to crush the virus," Pelosi said.
Newsweek reached out to White House negotiators for comment, but they did not respond as of their time of publication.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested on Saturday that he's spoken with Trump about the stimulus during a phone conversation. Trump is currently hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after being diagnosed with COVID-19.
In a tweet, he said the president "sounds well and says he's feeling good." He added that they talked business on the phone. Some of their topics included fighting the pandemic, confirming Judge Amy Coney Barrett and the economy.
The "Progress" of Stimulus Deal Talks
Stimulus deal talks have been around since summer. It seeks to address the economic fallout of the pandemic, but it has been riddled with arguments since.
While lawmakers were quick to agree on passing a $2 trillion CARES Act in March, talks on the second round of the stimulus was filled with disagreement.
In May, the Democrat-controlled House passed a $3 trillion HEROES Act. But this was rejected by the GOP-controlled Senate.
Negotiations remained on a standstill until late July. During that time, McConnell revealed the HEALS Act.
It was a $1 trillion plan that failed to even garner Republican support to pass in the Senate. Similarly, Republicans also tried to pass a much smaller package, which was also unsuccessful.
The Cause of Delays, Disagreements
The stimulus deal is riddled with many disagreements but with the same bottom line: the price of the stimulus deal.
Many members of the GOP are concerned that the price tag of stimulus packages is very high. Disagreements also remain over what should be funded and by how much.
Both sides of the aisle want a fresh round of $1,200 direct stimulus checks to most Americans. Both sides also want unemployment benefit for jobless workers, but prices vary from one proposal to the next.
Come Thursday evening; the House passed a $2.2 trillion package amid unsuccessful negotiations. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Pelosi, who are leading stimulus talks, have failed to reach an agreement.
Mnuchin tried to put forward a $1.62 trillion proposal as a compromise, but Pelosi won't budge. Disagreements still loom on the stimulus talks.
Before the House voted on their $2.2 trillion proposals, Mnuchin said Trump had already asked for a higher price tag from them. That is why they put the trillion-dollar offer on the table.
Pelosi remains hopeful that talks will continue regarding the stimulus. She added that, with Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis, Republicans might "see the reality" of the pandemic.
She is hoping there will be changes in the shape of stimulus talks as Trump himself faces the "vicious virus."
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