House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Friday that "dithering" by the White House and Senate Republicans was to blame for not producing a coronavirus stimulus proposal.
Why it matters: The top Democrats are going on the offensive regarding the stimulus plan as expanded unemployment benefits are set to expire in the coming days.
What they're saying: "This weekend, millions of Americans will lose their unemployment insurance, will be at risk of being evicted from their homes, and could be laid off by state and local government, and there is only one reason: Republicans have been dithering for months while America's crisis deepens," they said in a statement.
- "We had expected to be working throughout this weekend to find common ground on the next COVID response package. It is simply unacceptable that Republicans have had this entire time to reach consensus among themselves and continue to flail. Time is of the essence and lives are being lost," they added.
The other side: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had planned to present a Republican version of the stimulus bill to open negotiations with Democrats this week, but the congressional GOP remains at an impasse with the White House on what it should include.
