McConnell Agrees to Resume COVID-19 Relief Talks, Says Schumer
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has agreed to return to the table for a stimulus negotiation.
CNBC was one of the first to report on the possible resumption of stimulus negotiations, one day after the U.S. coronavirus death toll reached more than 250,000.
In a news conference in New York, Schumer said McConnell was going to "try to begin to see if we can get a real good COVID relief bill."
Schumer called the Republican senator's decision to resume COVID-19 relief talks a "breakthrough."
There was no immediate comment from aides of McConnell and Republican House of Representatives minority leader Kevin McCarthy.
Schumer 'Oversold' Stimulus Negotiations Development
While Schumer saw the development as a "breakthrough," some congressional aides for both Republicans and Democrats said he might have oversold.
Both sides are just beginning negotiations on funding to stave off a possible December 11 government shutdown.
According to Reuters, a senior Democratic aide said there was a meeting of aides representing McConnell, Schumer, McCarthy, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday midafternoon.
They discussed coronavirus relief and efforts to pass a funding of $1.4 trillion to keep the government afloat beyond December 11, when current funding expires.
Also, the timing of the said "breakthrough" seemed hollow since senators were sent home by McConnell on Wednesday for a Thanksgiving break, said FOX13 Memphis.
Even with the break, there was little evidence that the two sides were getting closer to reaching a stimulus deal.
Americans' Losses From Stalled Stimulus Negotiations
The stalemate over coronavirus stimulus between Democrats and Republicans has been going on for months now as they go over details and the size of a potential relief bill.
The stimulus has been locked in since before the election between President Donald Trump and former vice president Joe Biden.
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Americans are experiencing the effects of the coronavirus's recession since the last financial relief was given months ago.
Without congressional action, millions of Americans will be left in limbo, struggling to make ends meet as the pandemic continues to devastate the country.
Economists have warned against the sluggish pace of stimulus negotiations, saying the economy badly needs more assistance from Washington. Some states and cities are imposing new restrictions on schools and businesses in hopes of controlling the spread.
Without additional relief like the CARES Act passed in March, there will be about 12 million people who will lose unemployment benefits next month. Two government-funded programs that support these people will expire shortly after Christmas.
To prevent this from happening to Americans during the holidays, negotiators will have to discuss further. At best, the parties must reach a middle-ground between the Democrats' proposed $2.2 trillion and the Republicans' $500 billion price tag.
On Wednesday, Biden expressed hope that Republicans in Congress would be ready to move forward with the stimulus talks by January next year.
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He has been pushing for quick action on a coronavirus relief bill, but Democrats and Republicans remain far apart in what they want to give as relief measures.
Democrats Pelosi and Schumer are set to meet with the former vice president on Friday.
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