Speaking to conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt Wednesday morning, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows explained while talks about another Wuhan coronavirus stimulus package are ongoing, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hasn't been negotiating.
"How go the talks on the Hill? Is Nancy Pelosi leading us on? Or is she really negotiating?" Hewitt asked.
"Well, she’s more leading us on than negotiating, but it does look like that at least there’s a break. And I can tell you that I’m having discussions with some of her staff today, along with Chairman Shelby on the Republican side for appropriations. She has not moved a lot, Hugh," Meadows responded. "Her public rhetoric on how she’s been willing to make compromises doesn’t match the actual facts. But we’re hopeful that in the next 48 hours or so that there’ll be some breakthroughs where she actually starts negotiating. She hasn’t really been negotiating. It’s been more Secretary Mnuchin making compromises and trying to work through some language that we can get passed in a bipartisan fashion."
The White House offered Pelosi a $1.8 trillion package, which she rejected. On Tuesday President Trump offered $2.2 trillion in an effort to get something done before Election Day.
Meanwhile, the Senate is voting today on a targeted $500 billion relief package and is unlikely to approve an additional, very expensive bill.
Baffling.
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) October 21, 2020
The Senate is voting TODAY on McConnell’s targeted COVID relief bill with priorities everyone AGREES on.
Meanwhile Schumer just tried to ADJOURN the SENATE, Pelosi “nothing is better than something” took a step back on a deal
And MCCONNELL killed relief? https://t.co/BD6b8mzP8a pic.twitter.com/hXtFFVEVre