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Both Republicans and Democrats are battling to find a solution to the COVID-19 economic stimulus talks that stalled in the last few weeks between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. With just over two weeks to go until the 2020 election, both Democrats and Republicans do not want to be seen as causing the breakdown of talks. Even after
President Trump pulled his negotiating team from the talks held between Pelosi and Mnuchin has been ongoing in a truncated form. Pelosi believes she has the upper hand over the Republicans in the stimulus talks as time ticks down to the election on November 3rd leading to her setting a Tuesday deadline for talks to make some headway.
The House Speaker and Treasury Secretary are reported to have held 75 minutes of talks via phone on Sunday and planned to carry on their discussions on Monday. The effects of the pandemic on the economy may be the biggest issue in the Presidential race, but the overall issue of COVID-19 remains a deeply troubling part of the battle between the two parties.
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In traditionally conservative South Carolina, Democrat Jaime Harrison is in a virtual tie with the close ally of President Trump, Lindsay Graham. The Senator was seen as being able to hold onto his seat with ease just a few months ago, but the $57 million raised by Harrison in the last month is a record for a Senate race in South Carolina and the wider U.S. This has raised hope of victory for former Vice-President Joe Biden in the Presidential race and a win in both houses of the Senate for the Democrats.
The potential for a sweep of the national election board for the Democrats has only pushed the House Speaker to feel she has the power to place a deadline on when the pandemic stimulus talks will come to an end. Nancy Pelosi explained the major issue she faces with the ongoing talks with Mnuchin include the looming November 3rd, 2020 election that leaves just two weeks for a bill to be written and passed by both Houses.
Steven Mnuchin has remained largely quiet about the ongoing talks, but his trip to the Middle East in the coming week will make it even more difficult for a deal to be brokered between the two sides. Nancy Pelosi has explained her view on the talks, including the fact she and Mnuchin have largely come to an agreement about the contents of the proposal they would like to put before Congress and the President. However, the issues being faced come down to a difference of opinion over certain measures to be introduced with the next Stimulus Bill.
The main issue comes down to a plan proposed by Democrats to introduce a national COVID-19 pandemic testing plan to ease the issues being faced by the public. The pair appeared to have reached an agreement over the plan to introduce a national testing plan, but this was derailed by what Mnuchin described as small changes to the wording of the details of the plan. Pelosi believes the change in wording is a power play by The White House to allow the President to eliminate much of the plan further down the line.
Neither Senator Pelosi nor Treasury Secretary Mnuchin has completely ruled out a deal being made over the next two days, but the setting of a deadline makes a deal appear difficult to approve. Among the details of the talks that have been revealed by Nancy Pelosi include agreement being reached on a second $1,200 payment to all Americans and broad agreement over emergency unemployment payments. The economy remains stalled in many areas of the nation as the pandemic is just one of several emergencies taking place around the U.S., including the California wildfires.
News of the deadline for Stimulus talks from Nancy Pelosi comes just two weeks before the Presidential race comes to an end and as the Republicans re-introduce their $500 billion bills. This bill providing a group of narrow funding pledges has already been blocked by Democrats who have stated they are holding out for a more-rounded bill to be negotiated between The White House and the Democratic Party. Republican leader, Mitch McConnell has already stated Republicans will consider a deal reached between Pelosi and Mnuchin, but some experts believe any Stimulus bill would be dead on arrival so close to the 2020 elections.
During a round of interviews by Nancy Pelosi, the House Speaker explained she had not spoken to President Trump in over a year over fears over his trustworthiness. As the Presidential race draws to a close, the fear that a pandemic strategic testing plan would be turned into little more than an idea by The White House appears to be the major stumbling block for Speaker Pelosi and her Democratic colleagues.
