Dems, GOP far apart in talks about virus relief package

WASHINGTON — The differences over the next coronavirus aid package are vast: Democrats propose $3 trillion in relief and Republicans have a $1 trillion counteroffer. At stake are millions of Americans’ jobless benefits, school reopenings and eviction protections.

As top White House negotiators return to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, the leverage is apparent. They are meeting at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office. Republicans are so deeply divided over the prospect of big government spending it’s leaving Senate Majority Leader

Mitch McConnell with a weakened hand.

Striking any agreement between Congress and President Donald Trump by Friday’s deadline for expiring aid will be daunting.

The outcome will be a defining one for the president and the parties heading into the November election as an uneasy nation is watching and waiting for Washington to bring some end to the health crisis and devastating economic fallout.

But McConnell acknowledged the limits with Republicans split: “We’ve done the best we can.”

Key to the debate is the $600 weekly unemployment benefit bump that is expiring for millions of jobless Americans. Republicans want to slash it to $200 a week as an incentive to push people back to work. Democrats have shown flickers of willingness to curb the federal aid, but are refusing to go that low.

One major sticking point will be over funding for cashstrapped states and cities. Democrats proposed nearly $1 trillion for states and cities to avert municipal layoffs of government workers. Republicans gave no new money and prefer providing them with flexibility in previously approved aid.

An area of common ground is agreement on a new round of $1,200 direct payments to Americans earning $75,000 or less.

But Democrats also add a “heroes pay” bonus for frontline essential workers, money for food stamps and other assistance that Republicans do not provide.

Republicans were scrambling to justify providing $1.7 billion for a new FBI headquarters in Washington, a non-pandemic-related expense that’s a top priority of the president but not of lawmakers or McConnell.