Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., on Wednesday said Democrats should continue holding out for a better COVID-19 relief package.
“This administration, it seems what they want to do is cut another $1,200 check, but they don’t want to actually provide state and local [aid],” Ocasio-Cortez told Politico.
“That $1,200 is a nice little sugar high, and I support giving another stimulus check, but a second check in and of itself alone — if we’re not going to support state and local funding, if it’s not going to include significant investments in testing, tracing capacity and infrastructure — all it is is a little sugar high. It’s not going to solve the critical issues of the pandemic.”
Democrats and Republicans are at a standstill over a coronavirus relief package, mostly concerning the overall aid amount. Democrats are pushing for a $2.2 trillion proposal, while Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, a top negotiator, signaled the White House would be open to going up to $1.5 trillion. In May, the House passed a$3.4 trillion bill but it was not acted upon by the Senate.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for Republicans to accept a bigger relief package, tweeting: “Democrats are “heartless”. They don’t want to give STIMULUS PAYMENTS to people who desperately need the money, and whose fault it was NOT that the plague came in from China. Go for the much higher numbers, Republicans, it all comes back to the USA anyway (one way or another!).”
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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