Senate
Democrats
Schumer Remarks At Media Availability With Speaker Pelosi Following Meeting With Trump Administration On Coronavirus Relief Legislation
July 29, 2020Washington, D.C.— Senate
Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a media
availability after meeting with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White
House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on further coronavirus relief
legislation. Below is a full transcript:
Speaker Pelosi: Good afternoon. We’re going to be very brief because
we have work to do.
Today, we had sort of a message from the Senate side that seems to
me that Senator McConnell really doesn’t want to get an agreement made.
By this announcement made about, what, nothing is coming to the Floor unless
it’s completely his way on liability. It wasn’t a good way for us to
start the discussion this afternoon.
We—we are going to meet again tomorrow at the suggestion of the
distinguished Leader. We are going to meet again tomorrow. But part
of what we are doing now is really airing our differences. There is
discovery in understanding where there might be opportunity or not.
But what the Leader said today sounded like a person who had no
interest in having an agreement, A.
Sen. Schumer: Republican Leader.
Speaker Pelosi: The Republican Leader, yes.
[Laughter]
Mr. McConnell, what’s his name. And—and that was most
unfortunate.
I yield to the distinguished Democratic Leader.
Sen. Schumer: Yeah. At his press conference, Leader McConnell said that
his entire liability provision would have to be, without negotiation, part of
any bill that’s going to pass. That is no way to negotiate, particularly
when his provision is so extreme. It favors corporations, we know
that. But, for instance, it says: all medical malpractice, COVID-related
or not—all state medical malpractice is gone till 2024. It’s a radical
change of all liability law.
And we asked Mr. Mnuchin and Mr. Meadows to go back and see if Mr.
McConnell really meant that. Because that would mean he’s probably not
interested in any bill at all.
Thank you.
Speaker Pelosi: Yeah. I just want to say a few more things. This liability
provision he put in there is McConnell liability on steroids. He has
taken it to a whole other place. And, again, he doesn’t sound like
anybody who wants to have an agreement or anybody who can pass a bill on the
Floor of the Senate.
Thank you.
Sen. Schumer: Thank you.
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