After many negotiations, arguments, and phone calls, trump to sign a $1.3 trillion relief bill.
As reported by the chief of the white house, mark meadows on Friday, president trump would sign a coronavirus relief package totaling $1.3 trillion, an increase over the $1.1 trillion offer made by the senate republicans.
BACKGROUND
In the prior week, meadows and house speaker Nancy Pelosi, have had many negotiations over phone calls but failed to reach any agreement. This coronavirus package has already been stalled for three weeks Meadows also described the call as “25 minutes of nothing” and also stated that the conversation made something very clear,” white house continues to disregard the needs of the American public”. The negotiations till now have involved Pelosi, Meadows, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.
KEY FACTS
- Earlier this month, Pelosi offered a concession by proposing a $2.2 trillion bill straight down from $2.4 trillion.
- The new figure (last offer) was put forward by White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, making a $300 billion increase from an initial $1 trillion offer from the White House and Senate Republicans.
- According to reports, meadows said that the $1.3 trillion offer was made privately to the democrats.
- Meadow’s recent public comments show the unwillingness of the two parties to make any compromise and also bring in light the blame game which has been going on ever since.
- Pelosi also said “We have said again and again that we’re willing to come down and meet them in the middle — that would be $2.2 trillion — and when they’re ready to do that, we’ll be ready to discuss and negotiate the particulars,”
The new white House amount is still $900 billion less than the $2.2 trillion offer that the Speaker Nancy Pelosi had demanded, Pelosi also told reporters that Democrats could not go lower than $2.2 trillion, saying the figure would allow both sides to “meet in the middle.” And still believes that the amount doesn’t meet the American needs. Hours later, Pelosi also said, among other things, the Republicans “are rejecting the funding needed for testing and tracing to crush the virus and safely reopen schools and the economy.” She also hoped that the Republicans would accept the democratic offer and carry on with the negotiations.
