Negotiations Continue for COVID-19 Relief Bill
On Wednesday, a few hours after stating he was shutting negotiations down, President Trump indicated that he was open to passing additional COVID-19 relief legislation. The President stated he supports Congress passing three individual bills that would administer $1,200 in additional stimulus checks, extend the Paycheck Protection Program and provide additional funding to the airline industry. Secretary of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin conveyed a similar message to House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, during their brief meeting Thursday, stating that the President was indeed interested in a broader package, although the range of what the President and Congressional Republicans were open to did notseem to include additional rental assistance or housing programs.
However, on Friday, President Trump was reported to have authorized a $1.8 trillion stimulus package that Secretary Mnuchin could offer to Speaker Pelosi. At this moment, no draft of the proposal has been released. This afternoon, President Trump changed course again and stated he’d like to see a much bigger COVID-19 relief package. Having already rejected the $3.4 trillion Heroes Act that the House passed in May, he now supports a COVID-19 relief bill that includes more aid than what Congress has previously offered.
Senate Leader Mitch McConnell has warned the President on several occasions that fiscally conservative Republicans in the Senate would not agree to such a large bill, and refuse to budge from their $1.6 trillion offer. Leader McConnell acknowledged that while the economy is struggling to get back to normal and needs another stimulus bill, it is highly unlikely in the next three weeks, citing the Senate’s intent to proceed with a Supreme Court nomination and the presidential election in November. The Senate will be in recess until the end of next week.