While U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has remained adamant in calling for trillions of dollars to fund the next coronavirus relief bill, even some in her party are apparently getting frustrated over her unwillingness to negotiate.
Congressional debate has been stalled since July, though moderate Democrats are beginning to more forcefully demand that Pelosi agree to a compromise bill assisting millions of struggling Americans, as reported by Fox News.
Failed attempts at compromise
Some of the pressure is coming from the more than two dozen Democratic members of the bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus.
The group of lawmakers often seeks a compromise between the two parties as a way to find solutions when their respective parties’ leaders are unable to do so.
In a statement on Tuesday, the caucus revealed that it had devised a $1.5 trillion compromise bill that dropped many of Pelosi’s partisan demands from the $3.4 trillion HEROES Act.
While Democratic leaders immediately shot down the attempt to reach an agreement, Trump administration sources were more receptive to the idea.
According to Fox News, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows called the proposal a good “foundation” from which more robust negotiations could be built. Among members of the bipartisan caucus, their position is straightforward, as U.S. Rep. Max Rose (D-NY) explained in a Fox News Channel interview.
“Let’s stop the charade”
“The pressure is loud and forthright and it is bipartisan in nature,” he said. “Because that pressure is reflective of where the American people are. They are sick and tired of politics.”
Rose then addressed “the leadership” with a “very simple message” about how to deal with the current gridlock.
“It’s time for you to stop playing games,” he said. “Let’s stop the charade. Let’s stop this stupidity. Let’s put the country first.”
The congressman is also a member of the New Democrat Coalition, an alliance that is similarly petitioning Pelosi to reach a deal with the GOP. That group participated in a conference call on Tuesday with the speaker and other House Democratic leaders, as reported by Politico.
Unfortunately, reports indicate that call was not immediately fruitful as Democrats expressed concern that a compromise would be interpreted by voters as a decision to cave to Republican demands. For millions of struggling Americans wondering when they will receive some help from the federal government, however, political leverage is probably not a top priority.
The post 'Stop playing games': Moderate Dems urge Pelosi to negotiate with GOP on COVID-19 relief bill first appeared on Conservative Institute.
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