WHITE House chief of staff Mark Meadows blamed Nancy Pelosi for the negotiation breakdown on a new coronavirus relief bill that would have included another round of $1,200 checks.
Meadows argued that the Trump administration‘s offer of $1.3 trillion deserves serious attention from the Democrats.
“She’s willing to turn down $1.3 trillion of help that goes to the American people because she would rather them have nothing than to give way on what her fantasy might be,” Meadows said in a recent NBC Meet the Press interview.
“Listen, we’re not going to negotiate here because the speaker’s been very clear,” Meadows told NBC’s Chuck Todd “When she said $2.2 trillion, she said, ‘Don’t do anything at all.’”
Meadows was referring to his call with the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other leaders on both sides last Thursday, where Pelosi offered to meet near the middle of their two proposed budgets, at $2.2 trillion.
But according to Forbes, Pelosi later told reporters that she is “not budging” on this number.
President Trump said last Friday that he’s willing to sign a $1.3 trillion relief bill, a $300 billion increase from the White House and Senate Republicans’ original $1 trillion offer.
Pelosi responded to the offer in a statement, insisting that Republicans’ new proposal still “continues to disregard the needs” of Americans.
Meadows said during the interview with NBC that Republicans’ new offer could pass the Senate if Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer agreed to the proposal.
“As you know, anything in the Senate requires both Democrats and Republicans,” Meadows said.
He continued: “But Speaker Pelosi, if she worked with Chuck Schumer, I can tell you all of those things that I just mentioned are available for the American people.”
Americans in need may be frustrated that both sides have essentially agreed on the stimulus check itself — up to $1,200 per individual with similar income thresholds to the last check, and $500 per dependent.
However, the US Congress couldn’t pass the new stimulus relief as they remain divided on issues such as unemployment enhancements and liability protections, among other things.
The Senate remains on recess until Tuesday, Sept. 8.
This means that the earliest Americans can expect to receive a stimulus checks in the mail is October.
