Lawmakers may not be headed home as soon as expected as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) says she is willing to push back the August recess in order to work on a new coronavirus relief package.
Appearing on CNN, Pelosi was asked if she would be willing to forego or delay the recess in order to reach a deal to extend benefits.
Pelosi explained it is crucial to reach a deal before it is too late.
“We absolutely have to. We also have to come to an agreement. The timetable is the timetable of the American people,” Pelosi said.
Watch her comments below:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she is willing to delay the upcoming August recess to work on a new coronavirus relief bill: "We absolutely have to. We also have to come to an agreement. The timetable is the timetable of the American people" https://t.co/iTvFdmkHll pic.twitter.com/emlEeNccm3
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) July 14, 2020
She listed the reasons why Americans need an additional relief package including unemployment insurance, direct payments, and assistance for rent and mortgage foreclosure and forbearance.
According to Pelosi, states and localities are also in need of aid to pay their employees.
Pelosi reiterated the nation needs another relief package in order to reopen the economy through testing, tracing, treating, and isolating.
She called on President Donald Trump to employ the Defense Production Act in order to obtain more testing equipment and personal protection equipment.
Pelosi recognized another coronavirus relief package as the only way to reopen the economy and expressed her frustration with Trump’s unwillingness to cooperate.
“This is a path to opening the economy and opening our schools. For some reason the president has resisted that, but this is an absolute must,” Pelosi said.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) recently weighed in on another coronavirus relief package, as IJR previously reported.
When asked by reporters if he thought there would be another stimulus package he said, “I believe there will be one.”
He listed liability reform, kids in school, jobs and healthcare, as potential themes of the next package.
In May, McConnell and other Republicans considered taking a pause on the fifth relief package in order to assess the packages previously passed.