Second Stimulus Check: Mnuchin Hints at ‘Compromise’, Slams Pelosi for ‘Getting in the Way’

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has hinted that there could be an achievable “compromise” in the plans for a Second Stimulus Check bill. However, he also slammed Speaker Nancy Pelosi for “getting in the way” of a deal. Mnuchin made the comments during a Monday appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box.

“There is a compromise if the speaker [of the House] is willing to move forward. I am somewhat concerned that she’s afraid any deal would be good for the president,” Mnuchin said. He then went on to imply that he believes Pelosi’s “politics” could be “getting in the way” of the negotiations. Later on, Mnuchin reaffirmed his eagerness to resume stimulus bill talks, saying that he is “available anytime” and that he has “told the speaker” this. Newsweek states that it reached out to Pelosi’s office for comment, but stated that it did not receive a reply in time for publication of its story.

Mnuchin and Pelosi were previously engaged in negotiations over a second stimulus bill — along with White House Chief-of-Staff Mark Meadows and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer — but the talks fell apart when the two sides could not reach an agreement. Following the negotiations hitting an impasse, Schumer said that “the House doesn’t have the votes to go south of $2 trillion, the Senate Democrats can’t go south of 2 trillion, so that’s what compromise is all about.” He further adding how it was “because there are 20 Republicans who don’t want to vote anything that doesn’t mean the whole thing should shift in their direction.” Schumer went on to say that it was important to “meet in the middle.”

Pelosi added: “When you’re having an opportunity like this to do something for the American people, it’s an opportunity, but we can’t have it be a missed opportunity to do that by settling for something so low, so beneath meeting the needs of the American people.” More recently, Pelosi blasted President Donald Trump for blaming Democrats over the stalled bill negotiations. Pelosi called Trump “pathetic,” and stated that she believes an agreement will be reached. “I’m completely optimistic,” Pelosi said while speaking to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Friday. “I’m optimistic. I do think we should have an agreement, that’s what we all want.”