Stalled coronavirus relief negotiations hit new obstacle: State aid
From WWW.FOXNEWS.COM
White House officials and Democratic leaders remained at an impasse Monday over another coronavirus relief package, with aid for cash-strapped state and local governments emerging as the latest obstacle in negotiations.
The two sides are at odds over whether states should receive additional funding in the next round of emergency aid -- and if so, how much.
Negotiators are trying to close the divide between the Senate Republicans' $1 trillion HEALS Act, which includes no new funding for states, and the House's $3.4 trillion HEROES Act, which allocates about $1 trillion in new funding for state and local governments.
The stalemate puts at risk potentially trillions of dollars in aid for families, businesses and the U. S. economy, including a fresh round of $1,200 stimulus checks, extra unemployment aid for millions of out-of-work Americans, $100 billion to help reopen schools and relief for cash-strapped state and local governments.
There were no signs of a détente on Monday, with each party blaming the other for the stalled-out discussions.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, one of the lead White House negotiators, called Democrats' request for $1 trillion for states "an absurd number," saying there's "plenty" of cash available already for the governments.
"We’re not going to give a trillion dollars for state and local," he said during an interview with CNBC on Monday. "That’s just not a reasonable approach."
President Trump lashed out at Democrats for insisting on the inclusion of aid for state and local governments.
"So now Schumer and Pelosi want to meet to make a deal," he ... (Read more)
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Submitted 1353 days ago
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