White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told reporters that the White House and lawmakers are far away from reaching a deal on the next coronavirus stimulus package.
Meadows’s Wednesday warning came as unemployment benefits are set to expire on Friday for millions of U.S. workers out of jobs due to the pandemic.
???MARK MEADOWS, as he left pelosis office just now: “we’re nowhere close to a deal. … it means enhanced unemployment insurance provision will expire” on Friday.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) July 29, 2020
The White House has sparred with House Democrats on the timeline of getting a bill passed, with the Trump administration floating the idea of passing a partial bill to extend unemployment benefits until the rest can be agreed upon.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has disputed this, saying lawmakers must pass a “comprehensive full bill.”
Republicans are also pushing to cut the current unemployment benefit of $600 a week down to $200, citing the initial amount as an incentive for some not to return to work where they may make less money.
The dispute comes as over 32 million people in the United States are relying on unemployment benefits.
