Relief talks stumble again as Trump asserts a deal is ‘not going to happen’

Relief talks stumble again as Trump asserts a deal is ‘not going to happen’

8/13/20
A new attempt to restart economic relief negotiations between the White House and Democrats ended just minutes after it began on Wednesday, with President Trump appearing to cast doubt on the whole process by announcing a deal is “not going to happen.” Just a few days earlier, he had suggested the he was open to a new round of talks. In declaring the whole process over, Trump used a news conference to criticize Democrats’ proposals for funding election preparations and the Postal Service as part of a broader spending measure. Those were among multiple issues that divided the parties during two weeks of negotiations that initially collapsed Friday before a failed attempt to revive them Wednesday. “The bill’s not going to happen because they don’t even want to talk about it, because we can’t give them the kind of ridiculous things that they want that have nothing to do with the China virus,” Trump said at the White House during an evening news briefing, using a term criticized as racially insensitive.

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For all you folks waiting for new federal unemployment assistance and/or a second stimulus check, Trump will block any help because he refuses to authorize funds to make voting for the national election on November 3rd safer. We are in a pandemic situation and the safest way for people to vote is via mail-in balloting. In-person voting has coronavirus drawbacks due to being in an enclosed space with possibly hundreds of people, a percentage of which may be asymptomatic covid carriers able to infect others. Mail-in voting is the safest way to vote during a pandemic. But Donald Trump has the notion that more mail-in voters are Democrats than Republicans. So Trump is doing everything in his power to make it difficult, or even impossible to vote via mail-in ballot. You see it's all about Trump and his re-election. He doesn't really care about your safety ("It is what it is." / "I take no responsibility.") Trump also appointed a heavy political donor (Louis DeJoy/$2.5 million) in May as Postmaster General for the express purpose of making the USPS so dysfunctional that mail-in votes will wind up delivered after the election. DeJoy has fired managers, banned any overtime, ordered the removal of automatic sorting machines, and closed post offices in blue (Democrat) areas.

So that is why you are not getting your unemployment/stimulus assistance money. Trump will block any stimulus bill that contains any funds to allow you to vote safely from home.

.....and the Senate is on recess until Labor Day.

Hmm... because states won't fund thier own proposed election law changes we should not pass more UI federal bonuses and/or another round of $1200 relief payments to all (except "the rich", of course). The idea that "must pass" crisis federal deficit spending for COVID-19 relief must include a huge package of pork is a ridiculous position.