Pelosi signals COVID relief deal remains far off after talk with Mark Meadows
Washington — Amid the impasse between Democratic leaders and the White House over the next coronavirus relief measure, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, after speaking by phone with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, signaled that an agreement on a legislative package still remains out of reach
The House speaker said in a statement she and Meadows spoke for 25 minutes, and she then accused Republicans of turning their backs on the American people, teachers and students, health care workers and small businesses.
"This conversation made clear that the White House continues to disregard the needs of the American people as the coronavirus crisis devastates lives and livelihood," Pelosi said.
She lambasted the Trump administration, saying its "continued failure to acknowledge the funding levels that experts, scientists and the American people know is needed leaves our nation at a tragic impasse."
Negotiations on the fourth phase of the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has devastated the U.S. economy and claimed the lives of more than 180,000 Americans, have been at a standstill since early August, with the White House and Democrats at odds over the size and scope of the next package.
House Democrats in May approved a sweeping $3 trillion package, while Senate Republicans unveiled a more targeted measure that cost $1 trillion in July. Pelosi said Democrats would back a package with a $2.2 trillion price tag, meaning Democrats and Republicans would meet about halfway on the size of the next measure.
Still, Pelosi indicated earlier Thursday her discussion with Meadows could yield little progress, telling reporters during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol the call "could be a very short conversation if they're not ready to meet in the middle."
"We're not budging. Understand this: they have to move," she said. "Why should there be a bill that has far less than what the public needs? We have that responsibility. They're just going to have to come up with more money."
Pelosi also forgot Meadows' name and said he is "not even the lead negotiator," which would be Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
"We consider, whatever his name is, Meadows here staffing Mr. Mnuchin," she said. Before President Trump selected Meadows as his next White House chief of staff in March, he served in the House, resigning his seat before officially assuming his new role.
With earlier talks offering no signs of the logjam breaking, members of the House and Senate returned to their home districts and are not set to be back in Washington for legislative business until after Labor Day. Mr. Trump also took unilateral action with four measures designed to provide economic relief to Americans reeling from the coronavirus crisis.
Meadows told Politico in an interview Tuesday he is "not optimistic" the two sides will be able to reach a deal on the next aid package before the end of September and predicted Pelosi will attempt to use a must-pass government spending bill as leverage in negotiations.
The House speaker, meanwhile, said that while a "flood of money" is needed to address the economic harms wrought by the pandemic, Republicans are "coming in with an eyedropper."
"Are you willing to meet in the middle?" she said. "If so, we can have a conversation. If not, I've returned your call."