Pelosi, Mnuchin talking COVID-19 relief again

This post was originally published on this site

There seems to be one Republican aware that COVID-19 relief is still necessary, possibly because all his Wall Street friends have been looking at the prolonged economic disaster it’s becoming and freaking out. Whatever the reason, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has been a willing negotiator with congressional Democratic leadership. He told the Senate Banking Committee Thursday that he and Speaker Pelosi are resuming talks. “I’ve probably spoken to Speaker Pelosi 15 or 20 times in the last few days” on the short-term government funding bill, Mnuchin told the committee, “and we’ve agreed to continue to have discussions about the CARES Act.”

For her part, Pelosi said “I’m talking with my caucus, my leadership, and we’ll see what we’re going to do. […] But we’re ready for a negotiation. That’s what we’re ready for.” They are looking at a $2.4 trillion package either to be used as the new basis for negotiations or as a stand-alone bill they pass in the next week or so to amp up pressure.

The proposal would include funding for airlines—that’s been a big pressure point for Republicans in the Senate this week—as well as for restaurants, in recognition that the Paycheck Protection Program from the CARES Act hasn’t been as helpful for that industry as others. (Disclosure: Kos Media received a Paycheck Protection Program loan.)

Expanded nutrition funding was included in the continuing resolution the House passed this week, which the Senate should be passing with no problems, so that won’t have to be in there, but resumed expanded unemployment insurance almost assuredly will, in one form or another. The reduced funding the administration scrabbled together will be depleted soon.

There are other pressing needs, but Republicans continue to balk at spending what needs to be spent to save the economy. Mnuchin is cautioning that $2+ trillion is too much, so there’s still a yawning gulf here. And there’s the Senate, where Mitch McConnell is far more interested in seeing if he can push a Supreme Court nominee who would be willing to hand the presidency back to Donald Trump when he loses in November than he is the health and welfare of the American people.