Published 12:24 IST, October 21st 2020
COVID-19 stimulus talks to continue as Pelosi, White House fail to reach deal
Pelosi on October 20 had said that since Sunday she and Mnuchin have been making some progress and she is positive about reaching a deal on Tuesday.
The Democratic Party House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and White House negotiator Steve Mnuchin are going to continue the talks that would close a deal and provide a fresh COVID-19 relief package to US citizens ranging from $1.8 trillion to $2.2 trillion. Pelosi on October 20 had said that since Sunday she and Mnuchin have been making some progress "in setting forth areas of agreement and disagreement" and that she is positive of reaching a deal before the Tuesday deadline. However, there was no clear answer as the day drew closer, and if reports are to believed the talks are going to continue.
"Today, Secretary Mnuchin and I spoke at 3:00 pm. Our conversation provided more clarity and common ground as we move closer to an agreement. Today’s deadline enabled us to see that decisions could be reached and language could be exchanged, demonstrating that both sides are serious about finding a compromise. I remain hopeful that we can reach an agreement before the election. It will be safer, bigger, and better, and it will be retroactive," Pelosi said in a statement on Tuesday.
US President Donald Trump had ordered his Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin to stop negotiations on the COVID-19 relief package earlier this month and had told him to start focusing on getting judge Amy Coney Barrett posted to the US Supreme Court instead. Trump had accused Pelosi of not negotiating in "good faith" saying that the House Speaker is asking for $2.4 trillion to bailout "poorly-run" Democratic states, which is unacceptable.
However, Trump later directed his team to resume negotiations. According to reports, the Republicans in the Senate don't want the bill to be passed before the November 3 election as they feel that Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation would get pushed because of that. Trump, during one of his interviews with Fox News, said that he can convince the Republicans in no time, that is not the concern for him and he too wants a relief package for the American people.
What do Democrats & Republicans want?
The United States government has so far provided three stimulus package to the American people since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country. However, all of those relief packages were passed in March and are depleting day by day. The American people are in dire need of a relief package because of the effect that the pandemic and the lockdown have had on businesses and people's lives. The main point of contention between the Democrats and the Republicans is that the Grand Old Party wants tax cuts and liability cuts in order to revive the businesses and bring back the workers, while the Dems want a clear national COVID-19 testing strategy and expansion of childcare access.
Updated 12:23 IST, October 21st 2020