Congress has started negotiations on President Donald Trump's economic relief plan, which includes cutting payroll taxes until the end of the year to assist the nation's workforce in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic, Sen. John Thune said Wednesday.
"I spoke last evening with (Treasury) Sec. Steven Mnuchin and he met with Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi," the North Dakota Republican said on Fox News' "America's Newsroom."
"They are looking at what the contours could be...it could be the tiered thing where you take administrative actions, the things the president and his team can do, and things that require legislation that might follow later."
Show co-host Ed Henry noted that Pelosi is expected to move forward on Thursday with a vote on some of her key priorities, including paid sick leave, and Thune responded that both sides must meet in the middle.
"At this point, what we don't need is showboats on the floor," said Thune. "The process should no be politicized. The discussion should occur between the president's team, the speaker and her folks and of course, ultimately Republicans and Democrats in the Senate as well. But I would hope those negotiations would commence before something gets rolled out."
He added that he hopes the package moves as smoothly as last week's push for the $8.5 billion package for coronavirus relief proceeded.
Meanwhile, Trump has provided "decisive, calm, and measured" leadership, but there are some matters that will have to be done through legislation, said Thune.
"We'll work as quickly as is necessary to meet the proportion, the dimensions of this crisis as it evolves, but obviously there are a number of things under consideration," said Thune. "The fact that the Democrats in the house aren't crazy about a payroll tax cut is a point of negotiation. In the end, it is something the president wants to see happen and if you are going to get a deal, I suspect at some point you are going to have to meet the president at least partway on that."
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