Stimulus Package 2: Schumer, Pelosi Urge McConnell to Resume Talks
Top congressional Democrats Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to resume talks regarding the second stimulus package.
On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged McConnell to meet at "the table." The pair asked the Kentucky Republican to join them in discussing a relief package to negotiate and reach an agreement, as per Heavy.
In a joint letter, Pelosi and Schumer emphasized the Congress's need to "act immediately," citing the nation's economic turmoil and skyrocket of COVID-19 cases.
"We write to request that you join us at the negotiating table this week to work towards a bicameral, bipartisan COVID-19 relief agreement to crush the virus and save American lives," the top congressional Democrats wrote.
The second round of stimulus packages' discussion has yet to reach an impasse as the officials continue discussing the bill's total cost. In a late-October story of the Chicago Tribune, Democrats urged for substantial local and state government funding, while the Republicans pushed for employer liability protections.
The White House and House Speaker Pelosi talked about a stimulus package between $1. To $2.2 trillion. But the talks were dismissed because of the November 3 election, according to Business Insider.
Now, the Senate Majority leader leads the effort for a Senate-backed, smaller stimulus proposal, as the administration didn't agree with the previous negotiations.
Meanwhile, in the letter, Pelosi and Schumer also asked McConnell to rethink the targeted approach.
They said that earlier this year, amid the negotiations with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, they agreed to compromise on a stimulus package. Democrats claim that they lowered their request by $1.2 trillion.
Read also: McConnell Agrees to Resume COVID-19 Relief Talks, Says Schumer
"Since that time, you have lowered your proposal from $1 trillion to $500 billion, even if the consensus from experts and economists is that the country requires a much larger injection of aid." they added.
Bigger relief aid is needed for schools, small businesses, and people who COVID-19 torn through communities and left them helpless and stood. The pair also cited government and hospital funding for essential workers to distribute COVID-19 vaccines.
Pelosi and Schumer said they asked McConnell to come to the table and cooperate with them to make a deal that will meet America's needs in this trying time.
On the other hand, Mnuchin said Friday that he and the GOP lawmakers would try to draft a targeted stimulus package with the Democrats in the next few weeks.
CNBC reported that Mnuchin and Meadows would convene with McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to share ideas on a more-targeted COVID-19 relief package.
Read also: Experts Urge Congress to Pass New Stimulus Package, Say Economy Cannot Wait
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