Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy PelosiOvernight Health Care: Biden unveils virus plan and urges patience | Fauci says it's 'liberating' working under Biden | House to move quickly on COVID-19 relief Overnight Defense: House approves waiver for Biden's Pentagon nominee | Biden to seek five-year extension of key arms control pact with Russia | Two more US service members killed by COVID-19 On The Money: Pelosi says House will move immediately on COVID-19 relief | Biden faces backlash over debt | 900,000 more Americans file for unemployment benefits MORE (D-Calif.) and Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer
Chuck SchumerNRSC chair says he'll back GOP incumbents against Trump primary challengers Schumer becomes new Senate majority leader US Chamber of Commerce to Biden, Congress: Business community 'ready to help' MORE (D-N.Y.) urged Republicans to "stop posturing" and negotiate on an "interim" coronavirus relief bill that is currently stalemated by partisan divisions.
Nancy PelosiOvernight Health Care: Biden unveils virus plan and urges patience | Fauci says it's 'liberating' working under Biden | House to move quickly on COVID-19 relief Overnight Defense: House approves waiver for Biden's Pentagon nominee | Biden to seek five-year extension of key arms control pact with Russia | Two more US service members killed by COVID-19 On The Money: Pelosi says House will move immediately on COVID-19 relief | Biden faces backlash over debt | 900,000 more Americans file for unemployment benefits MORE (D-Calif.) and Senate Democratic Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerNRSC chair says he'll back GOP incumbents against Trump primary challengers Schumer becomes new Senate majority leader US Chamber of Commerce to Biden, Congress: Business community 'ready to help' MORE (D-N.Y.) urged Republicans to "stop posturing" and negotiate on an "interim" coronavirus relief bill that is currently stalemated by partisan divisions. Their comments come after the Senate blocked two coronavirus relief bills — one from Republicans and an attempt to expand it by Democrats — on Thursday.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellTrump selects South Carolina lawyer for impeachment trial McConnell proposes postponing impeachment trial until February For Biden, a Senate trial could aid bipartisanship around COVID relief MORE (R-Ky.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthyMcCarthy supports Cheney remaining in leadership amid calls for her to step down The Hill's 12:30 Report: Biden hits the ground running on COVID Biden's inauguration marked by conflict of hope and fear MORE (R-Calif.) said over the weekend that they would keep trying to pass the "clean" GOP bill, which would provide an additional $250 billion in funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), appearing to reject a Democratic push to negotiate a larger package. The program, which got $350 billion as part of the third coronavirus relief bill, provides loans and grants for businesses with fewer than 500 employees.
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellTrump selects South Carolina lawyer for impeachment trial McConnell proposes postponing impeachment trial until February For Biden, a Senate trial could aid bipartisanship around COVID relief MORE (R-Ky.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthyKevin McCarthyMcCarthy supports Cheney remaining in leadership amid calls for her to step down The Hill's 12:30 Report: Biden hits the ground running on COVID Biden's inauguration marked by conflict of hope and fear MORE (R-Calif.) said over the weekend that they would keep trying to pass the "clean" GOP bill, which would provide an additional $250 billion in funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), appearing to reject a Democratic push to negotiate a larger package. The program, which got $350 billion as part of the third coronavirus relief bill, provides loans and grants for businesses with fewer than 500 employees. But Democrats, while saying they aren't opposed to more small-business money, want it to be paired with an additional $100 billion for hospitals, $150 billion for state and local governments and a boost in food assistance funding.
Democrats also want to make changes to the PPP, ensuring that half of the new $250 billion in funding goes through "community-based financial institutions that serve farmers, family, women, minority and veteran-owned small businesses." Democrats have raised concerns that the current setup of the program favors larger businesses with existing connections to a lender.
“Further changes must also be made to the SBA’s [Small Business Administration] assistance initiative, as many eligible small businesses continue to be excluded from the Paycheck Protection Program by big banks with significant lending capacity," Pelosi and Schumer said, while agreeing that more money for the program is needed to "satisfy the hundreds of billions in oversubscribed demand."
The stalemate between leadership in both parties comes as nearly half of the initial $350 billion has already been obligated. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow
Larry KudlowMORE, during an interview with Fox Business late last week, predicted that the initial funding for the program would run out on Friday.The Senate will hold brief sessions this week on Monday and Thursday, giving them two days to try to pass the new small-business funding before Kudlow's deadline.
Schumer indicated on Friday that he was hoping for a deal early this week, but neither side has indicated they've made progress toward resolving the standoff. Pelosi, meanwhile, spoke to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin
Steven MnuchinPence delivers coronavirus task force report to Biden Treasury imposes additional sanctions on Cuba over allegations of 'serious human rights abuse' Treasury Department sanctions inner circle of Russian agent Derkach for election interference MORE on Friday about the Democratic push for a larger "interim" package.
Steven MnuchinPence delivers coronavirus task force report to Biden Treasury imposes additional sanctions on Cuba over allegations of 'serious human rights abuse' Treasury Department sanctions inner circle of Russian agent Derkach for election interference MORE on Friday about the Democratic push for a larger "interim" package. Democrats indicated on Monday that they also want funding for nationwide testing and personal protective equipment.
“We all desire an end to the shutdown orders so we can get Americans back to work and back to normal," they said. "However, there is still not enough testing available to realistically allow that to happen."
“We all desire an end to the shutdown orders so we can get Americans back to work and back to normal," they said. "However, there is still not enough testing available to realistically allow that to happen."
