‘Definitely a possibility’: Pelosi hopeful of COVID relief package deal with White House

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, on September 27, said that she thinks a deal can be reached with the White House on a coronavirus relief package and that talks were continuing. While speaking to CNN, the top Democrat said that when she’ll have a conversation with the administration, it will be in ‘good faith’. Pelosi added that she ‘trusts’ Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to represent something that can reach a solution and she ‘believes’ that they can come to an agreement. 

Since early August, Pelosi, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows have been trying to break down a deal, however, the two sides have been far apart. With formal coronavirus relief talks stalled for weeks, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, last week, had said that Democratic lawmakers were starting to draft a bill totalling at least $2.2 trillion. 

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While speaking to the US daily, Pelosi said that it was ‘definitely a possibility’ that she would offer legislation in the coming days if the impasse with the Trump administration continued. But, she also added that she would rather have a deal with the White House than a ‘rhetorical argument’. Any legislation the Democratic House might approve would be unlikely to advance in the Senate as it is controlled by the Republicans. 

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Democrats, Republicans over stimulus bill 

Pelosi and Schemer had originally sought a $3.4 trillion COVID-19 aid bill but they later scaled their demands. Last month, Meadows had said that Trump would be willing to sign a $1.3 trillion bill, however, the Democrats said that the sum was ‘not enough’ to meet the needs of the American people. 

Pelosi said that 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 added that she hoped that Republicans would accept the offer and resume negotiations. On the other hand, Trump had previously said that Pelosi wants to give no stimulus and all she wants is a bailout for ‘badly run’ Democrat states. He added that another stimulus package would be ‘good’. 

(Image: AP) 

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