McConnell Sees a Stimulus Deal in 2021; Pelosi and Trump Want It Sooner
Top officials in Washington are sending mixed signals about when could a new stimulus bill will be passed.
The relief deal has reached an endpoint after Republicans and Democrats argued over how much money they should include in the stimulus package.
The policymakers have acknowledged that they will need to send a coronavirus aid in some form eventually. It is part of their efforts to curb the record of new infections while also boosting the struggling economy amid the pandemic.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi differed in their views again on Friday when asked about the new stimulus package timeline.
McConnell said he expects to handle the relief bill at the start of a new year, with legislation aimed at struggling small businesses. McConnell also included hospitals that are bearing the burden brought by the second wave of the pandemic.
For her part, Pelosi said she expects Congress to do "something" about the issue "at the start of a new presidency." However, Pelosi noted that she does not want to wait that long because people have needs.
The winner of the presidential election will officially assume office on Jan. 20. Pelosi, a Democrat, said she believes that Democratic bet Joe Biden will take office that day.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump, who is running for reelection, pushed for an even quicker passage of the stimulus package.
"We will have a tremendous stimulus package immediately after the election," Trump said in a CNBC News report. This is an indication that a vote on a coronavirus relief bill may still happen before the presidential inauguration in January.
Congress has failed to pass a new stimulus bill for months despite an economic crisis, with millions of people unemployed struggling to pay the bills.
Both parties have introduced their own versions of a stimulus bill. However, nothing has ever come close to passing.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has accused Pelosi of pulling a "political stunt" after what he called a long effort to find common ground with an offer to compromise on the issues she enumerated.
Pelosi has downplayed any tension between her and the Treasury Secretary.
"It doesn't matter what our relationship is, it matters what the truth is. And the truth is that this administration has failed miserably in responding to this virus," Pelosi noted in a report.
The election result may have a significant role in the passage of a new stimulus package. However, it is still not clear what might happen if the election results shift the political majorities of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Senate Republican Whip John Thune said that both sides' motivation would depend on how the election comes out. He added that either way, he thinks they will do something to resolve the issue.
The United States is currently experiencing another rise in COVID-19 cases. The country has surpassed nine million confirmed coronavirus cases with days before the presidential election in November.
In a CNN report, former Baltimore Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen said one American is dying every two minutes, adding that it is even increasing.
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