House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Assures State, Local Governments Are Slated To Receive Relief Funding In A Significant Way
During an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper on State of the Union, Pelosi criticized suggestions that Democrats tried making a concession last week when they passed an interim stimulus bill without including funding for either state or local governments. This has proved to be a stumbling block to Pelosi and her party.
Pelosi said Democrats plan to fund states and municipalities in the upcoming stimulus legislation. Asking Tapper to calm down, the California Democrat promised that they will be funding the state and local in a very significant way. Responding to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's recent remark about including the funds in the latest package, Pelosi said it is pointless to discuss what might have been.
Noting that she's a big fan of Gov. Cuomo and her governor, Gavin Newsom, Pelosi said state and locals have done their jobs magnificently, and are understandably impatient. Their impatient will them get even bigger numbers, she explained.
Congressional Democrats are currently outlining their priorities for an upcoming bill that would comprise noteworthy funding for both the state, as well as local governments, that has been the thing Democrats and Republicans have been arguing over in the relief talks. In an interview with Fox News, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said they will consider including additional state and local funding in the new coronavirus stimulus bill.
Mnuchin said this is a war that they will end up winning. Moreover, he stated that they will not refrain from spending more money and will do it with bipartisan support. While Pelosi pointed out that Congress hasn't stopped its efforts to provide coronavirus relief, hinting at an even more expensive bill is in the process, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urged lawmakers to pay attention to the amount of debt getting added to the United States and take into account the future impact of this debt.
McConnell strongly criticized the idea of providing additional funds for state and local governments on Wednesday, accusing Republicans of not been interested in revenue replacement for state governments or addressing their pension problems. In a radio interview, the Kentucky Republican would rather allow states to follow the bankruptcy route. This suggestion would require permission from the legislation.
Mnuchin said Sunday that he hasn't shared details about the set of reforms that would enable states to declare bankruptcy with President Trump, adding that the idea is something lawmakers should consider debating. Pelosi said that funding for state and local governments should be equivalent to what has been provided to small businesses.