On Friday’s broadcast of PBS’ “Washington Week,” USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page stated that some Democrats believe getting a “half-a-loaf” deal on coronavirus relief “was likely to help President Trump, to give him talking points and bragging rights about delivering more aid to people who need it.” And that while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) wants to pass a bill, she has “slow-walked” talks and she might not want a bill passed “just quite yet.”
Page said, “Well, some House Democrats, especially from moderate districts, have been very concerned about the failure to get together on even a kind of a half-a-loaf deal to get some more relief out there for the costs across the country of the pandemic. But you know, the politics of that is complicated. And I think there was also a calculation by some Democrats that giving half a loaf, making a deal for aid was likely to help President Trump, to give him talking points and bragging rights about delivering more aid to people who need it. So there — I think you have seen those talks get slow-walked by Nancy Pelosi. I don’t think it’s — I think she wants to have a bill passed. Maybe she doesn’t want to have a bill passed just for — just quite yet. Maybe we’ll see that happen in the lame-duck session. That now seems more likely.”
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