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                                                                                                 u.s. news Diaranson 2 september 2020

                           Mnuchin says Trump still wants virus deal with Democrats



            By MARCY GORDON                                                                                                     from  Rep.  Maxine  Waters,
            AP Business Writer                                                                                                  D-Calif.,  to  phone  Pelosi
            WASHINGTON            (AP)                                                                                          right after the hearing.
            —  Pressed  by  Democrats                                                                                           He  said  he  doesn’t  support
            to  quickly  negotiate  a  new                                                                                      the   Democrats’   position
            coronavirus  relief  package,                                                                                       for  $2.2  trillion  in  spending
            Treasury  Secretary  Steven                                                                                         in  the  next  package,  which
            Mnuchin  said  Tuesday  the                                                                                         contrasts  with  Republicans’
            administration  remains  will-                                                                                      stance of $1 trillion. He add-
            ing  to  work  on  a  bipartisan                                                                                    ed,  however,  “What’s  more
            agreement  to  help  small                                                                                          important is ... getting money
            businesses, the unemployed,                                                                                         to American workers, Ameri-
            children and schools. Demo-                                                                                         can families, kids. There are
            cratic leaders in Congress are                                                                                      tremendous  areas  of  agree-
            holding it up with hardened                                                                                         ment,  and  that’s  what  we
            positions, he said.                                                                                                 should be doing right away.”
            “Let’s move forward on a bi-                                                                                        “I  would  publicly  say  I  am
            partisan  basis  on  points  we                                                                                     willing to sit down at the ne-
            can  agree  upon,”  Mnuchin                                                                                         gotiating table with the speak-
            urged  at  a  hearing  by  the                                                                                      er with no conditions what-
            House  Select  Subcommittee                                                                                         soever  any  time,”  Mnuchin
            on  the  Coronavirus  Crisis.                                                                                       said.  Pelosi  this  week  said
            “The president and I want to                                                                                        the talks faltered because ad-
            move forward.”                                                                                                      ministration officials “do not
            Mnuchin made the case that   Committee Chairman Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., makes his opening remarks during a House   understand the gravity of the
            the  economy’s  recovery  has  Oversight and Reform Subcommittee, on the Trump administrations response the the Coronavirus   problem” facing the country.
            strengthened in recent weeks,  crisis, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington.                       Under  questioning  from
            citing  improved  consumer                                                                         Associated Press  Democrats  on  the  panel,
            spending,  growth  in  manu-                                                                                        Mnuchin  again  denied  any
            facturing  and  a  rebounding  the  $660  billion-plus  small  with the two sides trillions of  al  spending  on  aid  to  small  involvement  in  the  hiring
            housing market. It’s the fail-  business loan program — in-  dollars apart. Lawmakers left  businesses as the area where  of  new  Postmaster  General
            ure of some states to reopen  cluding more than $1 billion  Washington  for  the  August  Democrats  and  Republicans  Louis DeJoy.
            activity  that  is  holding  back  awarded  to  businesses  that  recess without an agreement.  are  most  likely  to  agree.  In  Democrats  are  looking  into
            the economy, he said.        received multiple loans.     The  impasse  left  millions  sometimes  sharp  exchanges,  how DeJoy was hired as they
            But  Democrats  insisted  that  The staff investigators said in  of  jobless  people  without  a  he  and  Democrats  on  the  scrutinize  a  series  of  opera-
            dire  economic  conditions  a report that a lack of govern-  $600-per-week   pandemic  panel disagreed over the state  tional  changes  at  the  Postal
            persist  for  many.  “Millions  ment oversight and account-  bonus  unemployment  ben-  of  the  economy  and  traded  Service that have resulted in
            of Americans are now facing  ability for the program “may  efit  that  had  helped  families  blame  for  the  impasse  over  widespread  mail  delays  and
            eviction,  debt  and  hunger,”  have led to billions of dollars  stay afloat, left state and local  new rescue legislation.  fears that the agency will not
            said  the  panel’s  chairman,  being diverted to fraud, waste  governments  seeking  fiscal  Mnuchin  pinned  the  blame  be able to handle an expected
            Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C.  and abuse, rather than reach-  relief high and dry, and held  on  a  refusal  to  compromise  surge  in  mail-in  ballots  this
            “As  the  pandemic  drags  on,  ing small businesses truly in  back a more than $100 billion  by  House  Speaker  Nancy  fall as a result of the corona-
            states,  cities  and  businesses  need.” With bipartisan agree-  school aid package.   Pelosi and Senate Democrat-  virus pandemic.
            are warning that more layoffs  ment,  Congress  enacted  an  An estimated 27 million peo-  ic  leader  Chuck  Schumer.  Democrats  also  want  to
            may be coming.”              unprecedented  $2.3  trillion  ple are receiving some form  While touting the economy’s  learn more about Mnuchin’s
            The  subcommittee’s  Demo-   pandemic  rescue  package  in  of  unemployment  benefits,  partial recovery, he acknowl-  role. The Treasury chief met
            cratic staff, meanwhile, said it  March. Now the Trump ad-  according  to  the  Labor  De-  edged  that  “we  have  more  with  members  of  the  Postal
            has identified lapses pointing  ministration and top congres-  partment,  though  the  figure  work to do.”         Service  Board  of  Governors
            to  possible  fraud  and  abuse  sional  Democrats  have  been  may  be  inflated  by  double-  Still, Mnuchin showed some  while  the  selection  of  the
            in  a  signature  piece  of  the  in  a  monthslong  stalemate  counting by states.    openness  to  negotiating  and  new  postmaster  general  was
            administration’s relief effort,  over  new  relief  legislation,  Mnuchin identified addition-  even agreed, under prodding  underway.q

                        Court blocks release of Trump tax returns amid latest appeal



              By MICHAEL R. SISAK         their  investigation.  “The                                                          subpoenas  cover  11  entities
              Associated Press            question  at  this  juncture  is                                                     engaged in business dealings
              NEW  YORK  (AP)  —  A  quite  simple  but  also  quite                                                           as  far  away  as  Europe  and
              federal  appeals  court  on  important,”  Trump  law-                                                            Dubai.
              Tuesday blocked a New York  yer William Consovoy said.                                                           Trump has blasted the long-
              prosecutor  from  obtaining  “Will the president be given                                                        running quest for his finan-
              Donald Trump’s tax returns  an opportunity to appeal that                                                        cial  records  as  a  “continua-
              while  his  lawyers  continue  ruling  before  his  personal                                                     tion  of  the  most  disgusting
              to fight a subpoena seeking  records are disclosed to the                                                        witch hunt in the history of
              the records. The three-judge  grand  jury  and  the  status                                                      our  country”  and  predicted
              panel  ruled  after  hearing  quo is irrevocably changed?”                                                       the case would again end up
              brief  arguments  from  both  Trump  lawyer  Jay  Sekulow                                                        before the Supreme Court.
              sides.  Trump’s  lawyers  had  said they were pleased with                                                       The  Supreme  Court  ruled
              asked  for  a  temporary  stay  the ruling. A message seek-  In this Monday, Feb. 24, 2020, file photo, Manhattan District   last  month  that  the  presi-
              while  they  appeal  a  lower-  ing  comment  was  left  with   Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., speaks at a news conference in New   dency in itself doesn’t shield
              court  ruling    that  granted  Vance’s spokesperson.   York.                                                    Trump from Vance’s investi-
              Manhattan District Attorney  A  hearing  on  the  merits  of                                    Associated Press  gation, but the high court re-
              Cyrus  Vance  Jr.’s  office  ac-  Trump’s latest appeal will be                                                  turned the case to U.S. Dis-
              cess to Trump’s tax returns.  held  on  Sept.  25  after  both  the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court  validate a subpoena issued to  trict Judge Victor Marrero’s
              A  lawyer  for  Vance’s  of-  sides agreed to an expedited  of Appeals last month after a  his  accounting  firm.  Judge  courtroom to allow Trump’s
              fice had argued that further  schedule.                 district court judge rejected  John  M.  Walker  Jr.  said  at  lawyers  to  raise  other  con-
              delays  would  only  impede  Trump’s lawyers appealed to  their renewed efforts to in-  Tuesday’s  hearing  that  the  cerns about the subpoena.q
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