File – House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy meets with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 7:15 PM PT – Friday, December 4, 2020
President Trump said he will support a bipartisan coronavirus deal once it arrives on his desk. While talking to reporters Thursday, the President confirmed he will “absolutely” sign a deal when he gets a chance.
Congress has been at in impasse for months over a stimulus bill and time is quickly running out for lawmakers to pass legislation before the end of the year.
Earlier this week, a bipartisan group of legislatures unveiled a $900 billion package in hopes of moving the ball forward. Democrat leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer appeared supportive of the bill as a good place to start negotiations.
However, Republicans were far more apprehensive of the bill with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy stating he, instead, supports Sen. Mitch McConnell’s proposal to attach COVID relief funding to the end-of-year budget.
“Working with President Trump, with (Steven) Mnuchin and with McConnell, I feel we’ve got a better opportunity now than at any time,” McCarthy stated. “I think those members on the Democratic side who said they would sign a discharge petition, if they would sign that discharge petition I bet you would get a COVID bill that day.”
Americans need real relief. Speaker Pelosi, enough with the partisanship and sideshows. #LetsWork pic.twitter.com/YIlc3ATJIJ
— Congressman Fred Keller (@RepFredKeller) December 3, 2020
McConnell said he’s seeing good indicators both sides can come to a compromise in time.
“Now it’s been heartening to see a few hopeful signs in the past few days,” he stated. “After months of arbitrary attachment to sky-high dollar amounts the Speaker of the House claimed were essential, that it would be an insult to settle for a nickel less, those baseless claims have suddenly evaporated.”
White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow echoed optimism from lawmakers Thursday while stating he sees things heading in a good direction. Lawmakers now have less than 10 days to reach an agreement.
