Democrats and Republicans pan Donald Trump’s US$1.8 trillion stimulus proposal
- President Donald Trump scrapped fiscal stimulus talks last week
- With negotiations back on, the obstacles are just as daunting
A new US$1.8 trillion economic stimulus proposal from the Trump administration drew criticism from congressional Democrats and Republicans, diminishing hopes for a coronavirus relief deal before the November 3 election.
In a weekly letter to Democratic colleagues, Pelosi said the Trump administration’s proposal lacked a “strategic plan to crush the virus” and gave President Donald Trump too much discretion to decide how funds were allocated.
“At this point, we still have disagreement on many priorities, and Democrats are awaiting language from the Administration on several provisions as the negotiations on the overall funding amount continue,” Pelosi’s letter said.
On a conference call on Saturday with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, multiple Republican senators criticised the price tag of the Trump administration’s proposal, a source familiar with the matter said.
Mnuchin floated the US$1.8 trillion proposal in a 30-minute Friday phone conversation with Pelosi, according to the White House.
The new White House package was higher than an earlier US$1.6 trillion Mnuchin offer and closer to the US$2.2 trillion the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed earlier.