Top Congressional Democrats and White House negotiators said they had made progress in talks on a new coronavirus relief bill, though the administration said President Donald Trump could act alone if no deal is reached
FILE PHOTO: Police officers wearing face masks guard the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, U.S., May 14, 2020. REUTERS/Erin Scott
Schumer, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows spent about two hours in talks on Capitol Hill. Mnuchin reported “a little bit of progress” in the talks. McConnell, who has not joined the bipartisan negotiations, blamed Pelosi and Schumer for the lack of a deal.
With a final deal still in doubt, the White House is seriously considering unilateral action to defer worker payments on payroll taxes, Stephen Moore, a member of Trump’s economic recovery task force, told Reuters. He said such a move would inject up to $300 billion into the U.S. economy. The tax payments fund Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
“The president is always considering executive action in the absence of congressional leadership,” White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said when asked about possible unilateral action. Hours before the talks were due to resume, Pelosi told CNN she would not go along with Republican proposals to slash the weekly $600 unemployment benefit.
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