News is just coming out that Nancy Pelosi is about to cave to the White House and Republicans by compromising on her demands.
This is not a compromise since only one side is moving.The other side is not moving. Thus this is another cave by backbone less Democrats.
Pelosi may alter her stance. The draft Republican bill is far smaller than the $3.5 trillion package passed by the House in May, and well below the $2 trillion that Democratic leaders have cited as a minimum during the negotiations. But Pelosi suggested Tuesday that she might agree to a smaller relief package in order to get funds for the Postal Service and a new round of unemployment payments, while postponing other major parts of the relief package until January, after the election.
Saying she didn’t want the relief package to clash with potentially contentious government funding negotiations in September, Pelosi told Politico that, “We have to try to come to that agreement now. We’re willing to cut our bill in half to meet the needs right now. We’ll take it up again in January. We’ll see them again in January. But for now, we can cut the bill in half.”
I think this is just a cop out by madam speaker.
Nancy Pelosi is trying to fund the USPS and extend unemployment benefits at the expense of aids to states, local governments, additional stimulus, and other priorities.
I think the Democrats are engaged in short term thinking as usual. They need to grow a backbone.
Democrats could have gotten everything they wanted when they passed earlier stimulus bills if they had stood firm on their grounds, but instead they caved and let the republicans roll over them. At that time, they promised us that they will include the additional provisions in the next bill.
Now its many months later they are preparing to cave again and again promising to add all the other stuff in the next bill.
I respect Madam Speaker, but when negotiating, you should always be prepared to walk away. At this time, you have lowered your demand from 3 trillion dollars to 2 trillion dollars without any budging from the Republicans. Now you are preparing to lower your demands again. That is not fighting for the people, that is demonstrating weakness. Demonstrating weakness is not the best way to deal with the Trump administration or Republicans.
The Republicans do not want to negotiate. They only want complete capitulation from Democrats. And what I think this is is complete capitulation by Madam Speaker. So, I think it is time for Democrats to walk away from negotiations and let the Republicans reap the consequences of their actions.
Friday, Aug 21, 2020 · 2:21:23 PM +00:00 · qz9
Update
Madam Speaker has decided not to follow up with the pared down bill. I think this is the best move for the Democrats.
Link
“I don’t think strategically it’s where we should go right now, because the Republicans would like to pass something like that and say forget about it,” Pelosi continued. “Forget about state and local [government funding], forget about our investments in stopping the virus, forget about other initiatives that feed the food insecure children in our country, vote by mail initiatives and the rest.”
“I don’t think the timing is for us to do it right now, because, imagine, the Republicans could take that into the Senate, put poison pills all over it. And it’s hard to vote against extending unemployment benefits,” she said. “And, again, I think, overwhelmingly, our members — who would not want to extend unemployment benefits? As I say, it’s something I fully support, and the stabilization, but not necessarily in the negotiation.”
This is what i have been saying. She understands it would have been a trap for them to pass such a bill. Thank you Madam Speaker.
