Trump Stimulus Walk-Away Spurs Alarm, Applause: Congress Reacts
Centrist members of both parties bemoaned Trump’s abrupt move to end negotiations on another round of fiscal stimulus.
(Bloomberg) -- Centrist members of both parties bemoaned President Donald Trump’s abrupt move to end negotiations on another round of fiscal stimulus to help a U.S. economy battered by the coronvirus pandemic.
Some moderate Republicans running for re-election on the ballot with an unpopular president broke with Trump and urged a return to negotiations. Opponents of another giant aid package after the $2 trillion approved in March cast blame instead on Democratic leaders for failing to come further down from their $2.2 trillion offer.
The following are some of the reactions to Trump’s announcement Tuesday afternoon:
‘Huge Mistake’
Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican running behind in polls in her re-election campaign, said, “Waiting until after the election to reach an agreement on the next Covid-19 relief package is a huge mistake.”
Collins said urged both parties to work together, as they did in the previous round of fiscal stimulus, “to continue to provide support for the health and safety of all Americans and the safe, responsible opening of our communities.”
Problem Solvers
John Katko, a moderate House Republican, touted the stimulus proposal from the bipartisan Problem Solver group of moderate House members.
No ‘Bailouts’
Trump’s closest allies, however, put the blame squarely on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Representative Jim Banks, an Indiana Republican, cheered Trump’s move in a tweet:
‘Cynical Move’
Michigan Representative Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat, said Trump placed “himself above the needs of the country: “I cannot understand why the President would halt negotiations until after the election except in a cynical move to secure votes.”
‘Could Have Risen’
Staten Island Democrat Max Rose, who had voted against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s $2.2 trillion stimulus package last week, rued the end of dialog. Congress “could have risen to this moment and prevented an economic disaster,” he said.
“For the Republicans to walk away from negotiations when we are this close to a deal is a total abdication of responsibility,” Rose said.
Call to ‘Reconsider’
Iowa Democrat Cindy Axne, who also voted against her party’s bill last week because it wasn’t enough of a compromise, on Tuesday she put the blame squarely on Trump.
“For the many Iowans that are still struggling in this crisis, I urge the President to reconsider his position so that we can resume talks as soon as possible.”
Blue Dogs
The centrist group of Democratic lawmakers known as the Blue Dogs highlighted that millions of Americans are suffering due to the Covid-19 crisis, saying in a tweet that failure to get a deal “is not an option.”
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