Rep. Tom Reed, R-N.Y., said lawmakers were caught off guard by President Donald Trump's demand to raise direct payments from $600 to $2,000 in the COVID-19 relief package.
Reed made his comments Wednesday night on CNN's "Cuomo Prime Time."
"Obviously this caught everybody blindsided," he said. "We thought we had this deal done. But we're not going to give up. As to why the president did this, we're all still trying to figure that out."
Reed co-chairs the House Problem Solvers Caucus and had worked to craft the stimulus bill.
"We're focused on delivering for the American people," he said. "And we're going to continue to move forward regardless of the motivation as to how we got here. I've been in D.C. now for 10 years and all I have to tell you is that I just keep putting the people's priorities first.
"And whatever happens, I just keep focused, eye on the prize … deliver this for the American people."
Trump threatened on Tuesday to not sign the relief bill that includes needed money for individual Americans, saying it should be amended to increase the amount in the stimulus checks. He called the bill "a disgrace."
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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