No coronavirus relief package yet, but blame game continues

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There were hopes that the negotiators would reach a coronavirus stimulus deal last week. However, after the talks failed last Friday, not many expected the negotiators to reach a consensus this week. Expectations turned out to be true, with each side blaming the other for no coronavirus relief package yet.

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No coronavirus relief package: each side blames other

After more than two weeks of negotiations, one thing that both sides agree on is that the other side is responsible for no coronavirus relief package. Every person who was involved in the negotiations suggested the same thing on Thursday, which was the unofficial deadline to reach a deal.

At a news conference on Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi came up with a large blue poster to detail the differences between the two sides.

“I want you to see how vast our differences are,” she said, adding that “this administration, other Republicans in Congress have never understood the gravity of this situation.”

When Pelosi was explaining how little GOP care about the well being of Americans, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on the other side of the Capitol, was saying similar things about Democrats.

McConnell slammed Democrats for forwarding a "completely unrealistic, far-left proposal." He also blamed Democrats for holding the negotiations "hostage" over "non-COVID-related ideological items."

Referring to Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, McConnell said they haven’t “conceded anything” nor “budged on their absurd demands.”

Later McConnell adjourned the Senate until September. This further suggests that there might be no coronavirus relief package this month. Over the next two weeks, the Democrats and Republicans will be hosting their national conventions.

What do Trump and the White House have to say?

President Donald Trump and the White House also blamed Democrats for no coronavirus relief package.

Larry Kudlow, White House chief economic adviser, informed reporters yesterday that negotiations are at a “stalemate” because the administration does not support the Democrats’ offer for a $2 trillion package.

“There are too many asks on their side that don’t fit,” he said. “They don’t even have anything to do with COVID.”

On what could help to make a deal, Kudlow said they are in favor of additional funding to reopen schools, as well as extend the PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) to assist small businesses.

Kayleigh McEnany, White House press secretary, echoed similar sentiments. She said the administration would support the legislation that offers funding for child care, food, vaccines, hospitals, schools and more.

"What we're not willing to do is rubber-stamp a behemoth $3.4 trillion deal that the Democrats put forward that was fundamentally unserious," McEnany said.

Trump, on Thursday, also blamed Democrats for the failure to reach a deal on the relief package. Speaking to Fox Business, he noted that absurd and unrelated demands from Democrats are the reasons for no coronavirus relief package yet.