In an attempt to break the ongoing stalemate over the next relief package, President Donald Trump has urged the Republicans to consider a bigger package. Trump wants Republicans, who last week introduced a package costing about $500, to embrace a bigger package that includes coronavirus stimulus checks.
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Trump, in a tweet on Wednesday, asked the GOP lawmakers to “go for the much higher numbers.” Many Republicans are in favor of giving a smaller or no relief package at all. This is why Republicans, who initially came up with a $1 trillion bill (HEROES Act), reduced their package last week to about $500 billion.
As was expected, Democrats rejected the $500 billion proposal arguing that it wouldn’t meet the needs of Americans. Since then there have been no new developments on the next relief package until now, with Trump calling on Republicans to go for a higher package.
Later, when asked if he would support a $1.5 trillion relief package, which has been put forward by a bipartisan House group earlier this week, Trump said he supports “something like that” and likes “the larger amount” of spending.
Further, Trump added that some Republicans do not support it, but “I think I can convince them to go along with that.”
Later when White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany was asked about Trump’s tweet, she said that the President was referring to the recent GOP bill of $500 billion. McEnany said this bill doesn’t include coronavirus stimulus checks, but the President wants “more than the $500 billion and he’s very keen to see these direct stimulus payments.”
Will Trump’s tweet break the stalemate?
Trump has long been in support of sending out coronavirus stimulus checks. On more than one occasion previously, Trump has said that he wants to give bigger stimulus checks.
It remains to be seen what impact, if any, Trump’s tweet will have in breaking the ongoing stalemate. Presently, the two sides are about a trillion dollars apart. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants a relief package of $2.2 trillion, while the maximum counter offer so far is of $1.5 trillion.
A report from the Washington Post noted that Trump’s tweet led to the first conversation between Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in weeks. However, it is not clear what the two sides talked about, or if any agreement was made.
In a joint statement, Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer acknowledged Trump’s intent to call for higher numbers on the relief package, saying they are “encouraged.” However, Pelosi also indicated that she won’t budge from her demand of a $2.2 trillion package.
Pelosi said that they now hope to hear that Republicans “will finally meet us halfway with a bill that is equal to the massive health and economic crises gripping our nation.”
