White House faces bipartisan backlash over $1.8 trillion stimulus offer

Democrats in the House and Republicans in the Senate expressed opposition to President Donald Trump’s $1.8 trillion coronavirus stimulus offer over the weekend, with White House negotiators now calling for a separate vote on small business loans until the deadlock on a broader package is broken.

The White House’s offer nearly doubles the original proposal from Republicans when talks began in late summer but is about $400 billion less than the $2.2 trillion bill Democrats previously passed, leaving party leaders in Congress on both sides unhappy.

“This proposal amounted to one step forward, two steps back,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said of the Trump administration’s stimulus offer in a letter to her members Saturday.

“When the President talks about wanting a bigger relief package, his proposal appears to mean that he wants more money at his discretion to grant or withhold, rather than agreeing on language prescribing how we honor our workers, crush the virus and put money in the pockets of workers,” Pelosi said.

Congress has failed to pass new aid for months as the virus continues to spread across the country and economic recovery slows.

Pelosi said the administration’s proposal lacks a strategic plan to contain the spread of the virus, and has inadequate funding for state and local governments as well as financial relief for American families.

Pelosi has called for a deal that reinstates the $600 per week supplemental unemployment benefit that ended in July and much more money for child care than what the administration is offering.

Senate Republicans also expressed opposition to the administration offer in a Saturday morning call with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, sources told NBC News. They hated the package, one source said. Republicans don’t like the price tag and some of the policy areas. They took issue with what they described as Democrat demands to provide maximum health insurance subsidies to any new Obamacare enrollee as part of an agreement, one source said.

Mnuchin and Meadows in a letter to Congress on Sunday said that House Democrats haven’t compromised with Republicans on the bipartisan stimulus legislation. They called for a separate vote on Paycheck Protection Program funding, forgivable loans for small businesses.

“Now is the time for us to come together and immediately vote on a bill to allow us to spend the unused Paycheck Protection Program funds while we continue to work towards a comprehensive package,” they wrote. “The all-or-nothing approach is an unacceptable response to the American people.”

Pelosi wrote in a second letter Sunday that Trump’s failure to take the virus seriously “is reflected in the grossly inadequate response we finally received from the Administration on Saturday.” Pelosi called the White House proposal’s spending on virus testing, tracing and treatment “wholly insufficient” and said Democrats and Republicans “remain at an impasse” on stimulus legislation until the issues are resolved.

As election day approaches, it’s unclear if Congress will have time to produce a pandemic relief bill and push it through the Republican-held Senate, which is moving quickly to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Friday that a stimulus package is “unlikely in the next three weeks.”

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[misspetersjonathan]

Seriously I don't understand what is really happing Do we think this bill will pass ?

[aaricajohnson]

This is a disgrace the Government needs to be ashamed of them selves seriously 😒 this is so disrespectful to all Americans!! Why do we have to suffer

[Lbkid]

If you can't pass a bill we need to vote everyone out and put someone in who can

[lutongbahayusa]

Why when we pay taxes we can not say no. Now, why they having a hard time giving back the favor to American people!

[TeamLA]

Is this congress just a joke or what? Mitch and Nancy should be removed, they shouldn't get argue and get nothing done. Find someone capable please.

[nikkijuicebar]

Nancy will never pass it!! It's her way or nothing !!

[ennz]

Who ever wins this election better pass something.

[lisaowen]

It's sad the two parties is arguing and cursing each other out over foodstamps unemployment illegally immigrants and who get tested first airlines and USPS. The GOVERNMENT IS PATHETIC.

[williampennjr.]

State and local governments should not get a cent, and they should be banned from taxing any of it too.

[MommySuperhero]

This is so ridiculous!!! People are suffering...get it done!

[nikkijuicebar]

But not the way Nancy wants it !! She can't be that selfish 1.8 Trillion proposed was a great bill and she declined it and it closest Republicans needs to nothing more for now.. Bipartisan we stand for !!

[josesantiago]

Any body against the bill should leave office

[brittaniedarrisaw]

Of course we are going to need more money if they keep stalling

[sharonpamula]

God this is so sickening and sickening

[shontelowens]

People in different parts of the world is suffering, front line workers are not getting hazard pay, and no one is getting the support that is needed. The government is only thinking about themselves. America is supposed to be a great country....smh.

[lindabartlett]

I would pass that1.8trillion offer and get out before the election and move on with it

[joeslow]

Vote everyone out. Both parties bailout Wall Street everyday. Time for a major overhaul in our political system.

[georgewashington]

That's what he should be focused on right now instead of worrying about that Supreme Court seat he should have been working on the stimulus checks instead of working on who going to be in the Supreme Court they having that they should have been end up talking about the stimulus instead of talking about who's going to be in the Supreme Court let the people know who you going to put it in there ain't never seen nothing happened like it's happening now it's not about the American people he trying to win the house on the Supreme Court or he can if he lose the votes he going to file a frog for everything and trying to change everything he ain't going to leave out the White House I know what it's about he know he not going to win that's what it's about but I'm voting them out he got to go he not for the American people he's lying he playing mind games he going to do this he going to do that he don't want to you got to go it's not a president

[deannathomas]

It’s not just one person or one party. Wake up, it’s all of them. Games!

[lindabartlett]

Ithink the senate will pass the 2.2 trillion before the election and really help the people that need it