Process should not be politicized, senator says
Senator John Thune of North Dakota reported Wednesday that Congress has started negotiations on President Trump’s economic relief plan in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic. The president’s plan includes cutting payroll taxes until the end of the year to assist the nation’s workforce, among other things.
“I spoke last evening with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and met with Speaker Pelosi,” Thune said. “They are looking at what the outcomes could be…it could be the tiered thing where you take administrative actions, the things the president and his team can do, and things that require legislation that might follow later.”
Speaker Pelosi is reported to be ready to move forward on Thursday with a vote on some other key priorities, including paid sick leave. The president and treasury secretary are mulling extending the tax filing deadline beyond April 15.
“At this point, what we don’t need is showboats on the floor,” Senator Thune said. “The process should not be politicized. The discussion should occur between the president’s team, the speaker and her folks, and, of course, ultimately, Republicans and Democrats in the Senate as well. I would hope those negotiations would commence before something gets rolled out.”
The senator credited President Trump with “decisive, calm and measured” leadership, but there are some matters that will have to be done through legislation.
As of Wednesday, the World Health Organization has declared that the global coronavirus outbreak constitutes a pandemic.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For members of Congress and President Trump and his team to work together to provide best outcomes for the American people in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
- For the many international efforts to curtail the coronavirus and actions of all nations to contain and stop the spread of the disease.
- For opportunities to secure international cooperation to change the course of the disease.
Sources: Fox News, Newsmax
