While the administration and the Democrats continue to struggle in reaching a coronavirus relief deal, US President Donald Trump has put the pressure on Congress to speed up the process and pass a stimulus plan on Saturday.
The president, who is currently receiving treatment at Walter Reed Medical Center after testing positive for COVID-19, sent the message through Twitter.
In his tweet, Trump said that the US already needs and wants stimulus. He also encouraged those in congress to work together.
"GET IT DONE! Thank you!" he wrote.
OUR GREAT USA WANTS & NEEDS STIMULUS. WORK TOGETHER AND GET IT DONE. Thank you! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 3, 2020
The tweet from Trump put him more into the continued struggle between the two parties to forge an agreement and pass on a viable stimulus bill for Americans.
Both Democrats and Republicans have not succeeded in their goal to put in more money into the economy and boost the health care system. This also continues as they go back and forth in trying to broker an agreement because Democrats have been pushing for a "sweeping relief package" while the GOP has expressed worry about spending too much.
Moreover, concerns that the economic boost brought by the previous rounds of relief is already fading. This is because recent job reports for the month of September have shown that tens of thousands of workers have been laid off.
According to CNBC, the continued pressure from Trump to pass a stimulus bill may lead some Republicans, especially those in the GOP, to embrace a deal with the Democrats into passing a stimulus bill.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated on Friday that Trump testing positive for COVID-19 may change the course of her talks with Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury Secretary. Pelosi also said that Trump's condition may lead to Republicans finally seeing how vicious the virus truly is.
On Thursday, a $2.2 trillion stimulus package was passed by the Democrats as the White House also passed another proposal worth $1.6 trillion.
The bills from both sides have already found common grounds. These include the direct payment to the Americans, an aid to airlines to help cover their payroll and prevent further furloughs, and loans for small businesses.
On the other hand, there were also several issues that caused disputes from both parties. One of which is that the White House has proposed $400 weekly for extra benefits, while Democrats have pushed for $600.
Also, the White House proposed allotting $250 billion as a relief for municipalities and states, compared to the $400 billion proposed by the Democrats.
Aside from those, both parties have also disagreed on the earned income tax credits, child tax credits, child care assistance, and the money which will be allotted for testing and contact tracing for COVID-19.
On Saturday, Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader, took it to Twitter to reveal that he has already discussed several topics with the president. The topics include issues regarding the Supreme Court and plan to further strengthen the economy, Newsweek reported via MSN.
At the moment, Americans are still waiting on the decision of the Congress or if the parties will finally reach a deal to aid those who have been highly affected by the pandemic.
Related article:Pres. Donald Trump's Condition Raises Concerns After COVID-19 Diagnosis, Dropping Blood Oxygen Levels
