After an unusual weekend meeting, negotiations between Democrats and the Trump Administration took steps towards replenishing the $ 600 aid which benefited the millions of people who lost their jobs due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy.
According to Senate Minority Leader Democrat Chuck Schumer, “This was the longest and most productive meeting we’ve ever had. We are not close yet, but it was a productive discussionNow both sides know where we are. “
Schumer and Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi participated in the three-hour meeting with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, he notes. Associated Press.
Mnuchin stated that “we are still far away and I do not want to suggest that the agreement is imminent. There are substantial differences, but we have made good progress“.
He also said that restoring the $ 600 benefit was considered very important to President Donald Trump.
Negotiations on a new economic relief package to alleviate financial damage of the coronavirus They had come to a standstill after the Administration and Democrats were unable to agree on a number of important details of the aid plan.
And another factor that has further complicated the talks is the fact that Senate Republicans disagree with the White House on central issues such as corporate liability protection and a new eviction moratorium, according to reports. NBC News.
Mnuchin and Meadows offered to extend the federal benefit of $ 600 a week to unemployment insurance for an additional week, according to three people familiar with the negotiations.
But Pelosi and Schumer rejected the offer Thursday night, saying a temporary patch would be useless unless negotiations were nearly complete.
“Let’s say that the path to which we have been dragged with its delay, its denial and its distortions, has caused death, repeatedly speaking, it has caused unnecessary deaths,” Pelosi told reporters on Friday. Pelosi’s words served as a clear signal that the negotiations on Capitol Hill will be part of a protracted process.
Pelosi and Schumer brought up the $ 3.4 trillion HEROES Act that the House passed in May, but was rejected almost immediately by Republicans. The Administration began negotiations with Democrats this week after Senate Republicans unveiled their $ 1 trillion bill a proposal that still lacks significant support within its own ranks.
“I think (Republicans) understand that we need a bill, but they just don’t realize how big it should be,” Pelosi said.
The two sides did not plan to meet in person on Friday, but had an appointment to meet at the Democrat’s office on Saturday morning, according to congressional aides.
Democrats have made zero offers in three days. That is not how the commitments are kept, “Meadows told NBC News, Telemundo’s sister network, in a telephone interview.
[El desgaste de solicitar los beneficios por desempleo: los problemas técnicos complican el proceso]
The end of the $ 600 per week bonus It could cause weekly unemployment payments to drop to nearly two-thirds for beneficiaries across the country. Average statewide unemployment benefits in the United States are about $ 340 a week, according to the latest data from the Department of Labor.
But some states will suffer more than others. In Florida, where COVID-19 infections have soared, the average weekly benefit fell from about $ 850 to about 250. In Oklahoma, the average weekly benefit is expected to plummet from 644 to 44, a precipitous drop of 93%. In Massachusetts, a state with some of the most generous unemployment benefits in the country, average weekly unemployment payments are expected to drop from $ 1,045 to about $ 445.
The two sides continue to disagree on several issues, including how much and for how long to expand the federal benefit, food assistance funding, and money for states and localities.
Meanwhile, the divisions between Republican Senate and Administration have continued to deepen. The Administration said Friday that protecting liability, a priority for Senate Majority Leader Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell, was not a priority goal.
“That is a question for Mitch McConnell,” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Friday. “That is his priority.”
McEnany added that the president was “very focused” on unemployment benefits, an issue that has divided the Republican Senate conference. Republicans in Congress offered a $ 200 a week benefit on their bill, sparking criticism from some Republican senators who said the lower figure was too much and that there should be no federal extension of the program at all. .
The president also called this week for an extension of the eviction moratorium, which will expire when August rents expire, though Meadows has not said whether the White House believes all tenants should be covered or just a few. Democrats support a broad ban on evictions, but Senate Republicans excluded it from their bill.
Although the idea of an executive order to address a moratorium on evictions had previously been raised, the president has no plans to do so, Meadows said.
“There are no plans for the president to take executive action today on any option. He hopes that Democrats will see how many unemployed Americans are hurting him with their negotiating tactics,” he said.
Rent is due for many Americans this weekend, with some 23 million people saying they have little or no confidence in their ability to pay rent, according to last month’s census data analyzed by The Wall Street Journal.
[Es oficial: la economía de Estados Unidos está en recesión (aunque podría ser un bache breve)]
The latest talks have left negotiators frustrated and pessimistic about the way forward to reach an agreement. The House of Representatives was supposed to postpone its annual August recess on Friday, but members have been told to remain on hold, with the possibility of being notified 24 hours in advance to return if they reach an agreement.
The Senate is in session for at least another week, a deadline that could be extended if there is no progress. McConnell declined to say Tuesday when asked if he planned to keep the House in session after next week if an agreement was not reached.
“We will keep you informed,” he settled.
With information from AP and NBC News
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