House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is defending the hefty $3 trillion price tag for the newly-introduced coronavirus relief bill.
During an interview with MSNBC, the Democratic lawmaker argued that the price tag is necessary because “the American people are worth it.”
“It’s a big-ticket. It’s a lot of money,” Pelosi admitted. “The American people are worth it.”
She continued, “We see the administration bolstering the stock market with some of its policies with the low-interest rates. The chairman says to us, ‘Think big because the interest rates will never be lower.’ And so we’re thinking big, but we’re thinking appropriately, focused, disciplined.”
Pelosi went on to further defend the bill as she insisted the Democrats not only have a proposal but also a plan and timeline of execution.
“We have a plan. We have a goal. We have a timetable. We have benchmarks and we just want to join together with everyone else and say, ‘Let’s open up the economy.”
See Pelosi’s remarks below:
Speaker Pelosi joins @Morning_Joe to discuss new $3T coronavirus relief bill.
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) May 13, 2020
"It's a big ticket. It's a lot of money. The American people are worth it." https://t.co/uvAxJuhKyK pic.twitter.com/6tqVyup7dT
While the California lawmaker has confirmed that the bill is still in negotiation, she is also stressing the necessity of funding going to the states and the American people to help combat the virus.
“It’s all in negotiation,” she continued. “But again, governors and mayors across the country, Republican and Democrat desperately need this help. Testing is so urgent. … And again, the American people need this help.”
The proposed stimulus bill proposes the following: $1 trillion in relief for state and local governments, approximately $200 billion in hazard pay for essential workers, $75 billion toward increasing coronavirus testing and contact tracing, and relief for the U.S. Postal Service.
For the American people, Democrats are proposing another round of $1,200 direct payments and up to $6,000 in direct payments per household, along with $175 billion in financial relief for rent, mortgages, and utility assistance.
Although the Republicans have opposed many of the Democrats’ proposed bills deeming their itemized requests as a “liberal wish list,” Pelosi argues that helping the American people and increasing testing amid the pandemic requires “opening that door” to the next stimulus bill.
