Mnuchin Says Democrat Demands On Stimulus Are “Non Starter” As Trump Weighs Executive Order

As millions of unemployed Americans and struggling businesses wait for lawmakers to hammer out the fifth coronavirus relief package, Democrats remain unwilling to consider a temporary extension of a $600 per week unemployment boost – instead suggesting the GOP meet them in the middle.

Looks like that’s a non-starter.

While walking into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) office on Friday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told reporters that a Democratic proposal to double the GOP’s $1 trillion stimulus proposal if the Democrats drop theirs by $1 trillion is a “non-starter.”

Secretary Mnuchin called it a “non-starter,” when asked about Speaker Pelosi saying him and Meadows needed to come up a trillion dollars in negotiations. pic.twitter.com/m9ApxFEQle

— Jason Donner (@jason_donner) August 7, 2020

“Yesterday, I offered to them, we’ll take down $1 trillion if you add $1 trillion in. They said absolutely not,” said Pelosi, adding “If we could do that, if we take down $1 trillion and they add $1 trillion, we’ll be within range, but we must meet the needs of the American people.”

Speaker Pelosi: “Yesterday I offered to them we’ll take down a trillion if you add a trillion in.” pic.twitter.com/f9dRn6Zwey

— The Hill (@thehill) August 7, 2020

During the presser, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) blamed White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows for the impasse.

“Basically what’s happening is Mr. Meadows is from the tea party. You have 20 Republicans in the Senate greatly influenced by them. And they don’t want to spend the necessary dollars to help get America out of this mess. Ideology sorta blinds them,” said Schumer, adding “The House doesn’t have the votes to go south of $2 trillion. The Senate Democrats won’t support something less than $2 trillion.”

Meadows and Mnuchin hit back, saying that Democrats have rejected their offers of compromise on the unemployment insurance boost.

While there’s an overlap in having schools, extended unemployment benefits, direct payments to the public as top priorities, the sticking points are, as always, in the details — who qualifies and how much to spend.

Additionally, Republicans have a heavy emphasis on liability protection, which Democrats said are unnecessary.

Meanwhile, the Democrats are pushing for funds for mail-in-ballots and elections, the financially struggling post office, food security programs, and a surge of funding for state and local governments — none of which have gained traction with the Republicans. –Washington Times

Senate Republicans, meanwhile, are divided on their own proposal according to the Washington Times, which notes that “about a dozen of their ranks skeptical of adding another $1 trillion to the nearly $3 trillion coronavirus tab that Congress has created.”

Meadows and Mnuchin also added that a larger deal, or even a “skinny” extension for top priorities are President Trump’s preference – while the Commander in Chief is looking at executing an executive order which would include a payroll tax cut, eviction protections, an unemployment boost extension and flexibility on student loan repayments, according to the Times.

In short, Democrats are about to hand Trump a big optics win. And which liberal #resistance judge wants to be known as the person who took money out of Americans’ pockets by striking it down?