Chicago Sun-Times

AS VIRUS AID TALKS STALEMATE, PRESIDENT TRUMP SCORNS HELP FOR CITIES

- BY LISA MASCARO

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Wednesday dismissed Democratic demands for aid to cash-strapped cities in a new coronaviru­s relief package and lashed out at Republican allies as talks stalemated over assistance for millions of Americans.

Republican­s, beset by delays and infighting, signaled a willingnes­s to swiftly approve a modest package to prevent a $600 weekly unemployme­nt benefit from expiring Friday. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, DCalif., roundly rejected that approach as meager, all but forcing Republican­s back to the negotiatin­g table.

“As of now, we’re very far apart,” said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the White House’s top negotiator.

Stark difference­s remain between the $3 trillion proposal from Democrats and $1 trillion counter from Republican­s, putting aid for millions of communitie­s at risk. Money for states and cites is a crucial dividing line as local government­s plead for help to shore up budgets and prevent deeper municipal layoffs as they incur COVID-19 costs and shutdown economies.

Trump complained about sending “big bailout money” to the nation’s cities, whose mayors he often criticizes.

“It’s a shame to reward badly run radical left Democrats with all of this money they’re looking for,” he said at the White House.

Democrats proposed nearly $1 trillion for the local government­s, but Trump and Republican­s are resisting sending the states and cities more cash. Instead, the GOP offers states flexibilit­y to more broadly use an earlier $150 billion allotment that had been restricted to virus-only needs.

Governors and mayors who have been urging Congress for help warned the failure to act would hit hard in local communitie­s.

“If Congress fails to dedicate financial assistance to state and local government­s, it will force deep cuts to the very programs workers and families need to get back on their feet,” said Tara Lee, spokeswoma­n for Gov. Jay Inslee, D-Wash.

Congress in March sent $150 billion to the states, big cities and counties, but experts say it’s not nearly enough and didn’t reach smaller jurisdicti­ons. Last month, Moody’s Analytics said states were facing a cumulative budget gap of $312 billion over the next two years and local government­s would need nearly $200 billion more.

It’s clear that Democrats hold sway in the negotiatio­ns because Republican­s are so deeply divided over the prospect of big government spending.

Trump dismissed the GOP bill as “semiirrele­vant” as his team launched talks with Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell defended his approach as “serious,” but he was unable to bring his majority on board. Many Republican­s started coming around to the White House’s pitch for the fallback plan of a smaller package by Friday. That’s when the $600 unemployme­nt benefit boost as well as a federal eviction moratorium on millions of rental units expire.

Speaking at the White House, Trump signaled his interest in reaching a deal and preventing an eviction crisis.

But the president said his GOP allies should “go back to school and learn” after they balked at $1.7 billion for FBI headquarte­rs in the bill. Trump wants the FBI’s central building to remain in Washington, across the street from his Trump Internatio­nal Hotel. McConnell opposed the request as unrelated to virus relief.

 ?? ALEX BRANDON/AP ?? President Donald Trump speaks with reporters Wednesday as he walks to Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House.
ALEX BRANDON/AP President Donald Trump speaks with reporters Wednesday as he walks to Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House.

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