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U.S. NEWS Friday 25 September 2020
Democrats to redraft virus relief in bid to jump-start talks

By ANDREW TAYLOR they are uninterested in a
Associated Press "message vote" that offers
WASHINGTON (AP) — House political cover but fails to
Democrats are going back catch on with the Senate
to the drawing board on a or the White House.
huge COVID-19 relief bill, Pelosi had largely dismissed
paring back the measure the protests from moder-
in an attempt to jump-start ates to pare back leader-
negotiations with the Trump ship COVID demands or
administration. schedule a floor vote. Some
The Democratic-controlled of the dissenters, however,
chamber could also pass had threatened to sign
the $2 trillion-plus mea- onto a GOP procedural
sure next week if talks fall effort to pass a renewal of
through to demonstrate aid for small businesses, a
that the party isn't giving step with the potential to
up on passing virus relief embarrass her.
before the election. "We're focused on a ne-
The chamber passed a gotiation, we want to
$3.4 trillion rescue measure get a deal with Secretary
in May but Republicans Mnuchin and the Senate
dismissed the measure as because we want to get
bloated and unrealistic. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. speaks during a news conference Thursday, Sept. 24, people help, not just mes-
Even as Democrats cut 2020 on Capitol Hill in Washington. sages," said House Majority
their ambitions to $2.2 tril- Associated Press Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md.
lion or so, Senate Repub- The revised measure is likely
licans have focused on a tion forward because we held Senate, and the White spark constructive talks. to contain scaled-back
much smaller rescue pack- believe the American peo- House still seem to be a "It's a waste of time," said proposals to give aid to
age in the $650 billion to $1 ple need some help. And longshot. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, state and local govern-
trillion range. so we're going to try," said "We are still striving for an saying a Democrats-only ments, $1,200 direct pay-
An aide familiar with the Rules Committee Chairman agreement," Pelosi told her approach won't go any- ments to most Americans,
leadership discussions and Jim McGovern, D-Mass. colleagues, according to where. "She could pass 10 more than $100 billion in aid
authorized to character- "Our chairs are looking at the aide. "If necessary, we more partisan bills. That to schools seeking to safely
ize them said the new bill everything again and the can formalize the request won't get us an inch closer." reopen, and funding for re-
would total about $2.4 tril- hope is that we can come by voting on it on the House Thursday's developments newed pandemic jobless
lion and is likely to contain up with something." floor." come as moderate "front benefits and production of
additional relief for the air- House Speaker Nancy Pe- Recent talks between Pe- line" Democrats in com- a COVID vaccine.
line and restaurant sectors, losi, D-Calif., commissioned losi and Treasury Secre- petitive reelection races "I think we're headed to-
which have been espe- the effort, which caused a tary Steven Mnuchin have have been pressing leaders wards a resurgence of the
cially slammed by slumps in buzz in Washington's lobby- gone nowhere, but neither like Pelosi to become more virus in the fall, and until
business from the virus. The ing industry — and whose side wants to officially give flexible. Some participated we defeat the virus, you're
aide requested anonymity news appeared to briefly up. in drafting a $1.5 trillion bi- not going to have full eco-
to characterize the closed- spike the stock market — Republicans reacted coo- partisan bill that fell flat nomic recovery," said Ways
door talks. even as hopes for a deal ly, especially at the pros- when outlined last week. and Means Committee
"We're trying to figure out between the Democratic- pect of a partisan floor Pelosi and other Democrat- Chairman Richard Neal, D-
how to move a negotia- controlled House, the GOP- vote if the effort doesn't ic leaders, however, say Mass.q

Post office defends on claims that cuts threaten election

By MARYCLAIRE DALE battles a pandemic and shows a slowdown order
Associated Press prepares for an election came from headquarters
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Law- that could hinge on mail-in this summer after Postmas-
yers for the U.S. Postal Ser- ballots. ter General Louis DeJoy
vice argued in court Thurs- "There was a sharp dip in took over the service.
day against accusations early July that hasn't re- Lawyers for the Postal Ser-
that service cuts are slow- bounded to where it was, vice say headquarters
ing down the mail and even today," Deputy At- never ordered a slowdown
threatening the integrity of torney General Aimee D. or overtime ban. However,
the presidential election. Thomson of Pennsylvania upon questioning from the
The latest hearing on the argued. judge, they conceded that
issue took place in fed- Judges in Washington state local postal managers may
eral court in Philadelphia, and New York have issued have misconstrued the
where the attorneys gen- emergency orders this guidance from Washing-
eral from six states and the month in similar cases. The ton and thought the stated
District of Columbia have others states involved in goal of reducing overtime In this May 6, 2020, photo, United States Postal Service carrier
sued. Thursday's hearing are Cali- was actually a mandate. Henrietta Dixon gets into her truck to deliver mail in Philadelphia.
They argue that on-time fornia, Delaware, Maine, The state officials said that Associated Press
delivery dropped sharply Massachusetts and North on-time delivery of first-
in July and has not fully Carolina. class mail fell 10% from ing and even endangering delivery for food, medica-
rebounded as the nation Thomson said the evidence July to August, aggravat- customers who rely on mail tions and other essentials.q