“Pelosi wouldn’t answer my question about why the $900 billion deal is more acceptable to her than the $1.8 trillion offer Mnuchin made to her this fall,” CNN’s Manu Raju said. “Pelosi wouldn’t call on me at the press conference, which is becoming a pattern, even though just five reporters were there. She left the press conference as I asked her the question. And she ignored my question in the hallway as well.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced on Sunday that he had secured a deal with other congressional leaders that will provide desperately needed funds to struggling Americans, although many on both sides said that it was not nearly enough. McConnell also slammed Democrats for stalling on getting a deal done, saying that Republicans had wanted to do this months ago, but that Democrats, by their own admission, had stalled because they didn’t want to make a deal before the election.
“There is no doubt this new agreement contains input from our Democratic colleagues. It is bipartisan. But these matters could have been settled long ago,” McConnell said. “So why did it take all this time? We know why. We have heard Democrats say openly that they were not willing to deal all summer and fall, but are willing now, because they now have a President-elect of their own political party. That’s not my accusation … that’s their admission.”
“So, look, I’m glad we’ve gotten this done. My Democratic colleagues and I have had good discussions this past week. Both parties have a lot to be proud of,” he concluded on the matter. “But I really regret that some on the Democratic side decided that partisan presidential politics were more important than getting urgent and noncontroversial relief out the door much, much sooner — to families who have needed this help badly. The progress of this past week could have happened in July, or in August, or in September, or in October. Senate Republicans were advocating for a package just like this one, all along, in real time. I just wish our partners on the other side had put political calculations aside and worked with us to make this happen a long time ago.”
