“It’s a chasm,” Speaker Pelosi said.
Negotiations over additional coronavirus relief between the White House and lawmakers broke down last Friday and, so far, there are no signs of a détente with each party continuing to fault the other for the stalled-out discussions.
Any deal to provide more emergency aid to American families and workers reeling from the coronavirus pandemic remains insurmountable. “We’re miles apart,” Speaker Pelosi said in an interview.
She cited a stalemate over education funding, eviction protections and additional money for food stamps. Negotiators are trying to bridge the divide between a $1 trillion aid package put out by the Senate at the end of July and the $3 trillion legislation passed by the House in May. The Trump Administration rejected an offer by the Speaker last week to meet in the middle. “It’s a chasm,” Pelosi said.
Over the weekend, President Trump acted unilaterally with executive orders that would postpone the collection of payroll taxes, restore in part the federal supplemental unemployment benefits, extend student loan relief, and discourage evictions. His proposals are expected to face court challenges. The Constitution gives Congress the power of federal spending, meaning that President Trump has no legal authority to issue executive orders allocating how much money should be spent on the pandemic, experts say.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- That negotiators would stop playing politics with the lives of American citizens and act responsibly on extending aid during the coronavirus pandemic.
- About whether the federal aid is “conditioning” American workers and families to accepting a more expected and socialized form of government assistance.
Sources: MSNBC, Fox News
