# Pelosi is right - Coronavirus stimulus **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 17, 2020, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pelosi-is-right-coronavirus-stimulus/923203 "2020-10-17T18:17:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DeadTreasSecretaries](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deadtreassecretaries/32/4817_2.png) [@DeadTreasSecretaries](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadTreasSecretaries)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2020, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pelosi-is-right-coronavirus-stimulus/923203/1 "2020-10-17T18:17:43Z")
The criticism Pelosi is getting for not passing Trump’s stimulus plan and for getting a bit heated with Wolf Blitzer over it is really getting on my nerves. In a democracy you need to negotiate to get things you want. You can’t just give concessions in return for nothing, and you can’t commit to things when talking to the media before you sit down with your opposition. Pelosi’s job isn’t just to negotiate with Trump, it’s to negotiate with Trump and McConnell, who hasn’t himself agreed to Trump’s stimulus. If Pelosi capitulated entirely to Trump’s plan, McConnell would still reject it out of hand, and the battle wouldn’t be over, we would just see the start of the real negotiations with the Democrats having already given up on most of what they wanted and being forced to negotiate for one Republican proposal against another one. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2020, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pelosi-is-right-coronavirus-stimulus/923203/2 "2020-10-17T21:36:15Z")
The question here is what is the goal? To score political gains in the election or to help people who are hurting [and a lot of people and small businesses are hurting a lot]? Pelosi’s strategy produces a very substantial risk there will be no deal until the next Congress–and that only if President, House and Senate are all Democratic. The Senate’s half a trillion is much better than nothing–especially since there could be a much bigger package in the next Congress. ---
**Author:** ![tripthicket](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripthicket/32/297_2.png) [@tripthicket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tripthicket)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2020, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pelosi-is-right-coronavirus-stimulus/923203/3 "2020-10-17T21:53:23Z")
If the Republican bill still has that provision wherein employees cannot sue their employers over lack of Covid safety measures, that right there is reason enough for me to agree with Democratic rejection of same. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2020, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pelosi-is-right-coronavirus-stimulus/923203/4 "2020-10-17T21:56:49Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Pelosi’s strategy produces a very substantial risk there will be no deal until the next Congress–and that only if President, House and Senate are all Democratic. The Senate’s half a trillion is much better than nothing–especially since there could be a much bigger package in the next Congress. Pelosi’s strategy of not simply accepting whatever shitty proposal the Republicans offer, is they offer one at all? That strategy? I’m all for it; I love Pelosi’s Strategy. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2020, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pelosi-is-right-coronavirus-stimulus/923203/5 "2020-10-17T21:58:20Z")
Someone should tell Pelosi that for Americans who are struggling to make ends meet, the four months between now and February 2021 are a **long** time. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2020, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pelosi-is-right-coronavirus-stimulus/923203/6 "2020-10-17T22:03:26Z")
I’m one of them; she’s doing fine. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2020, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pelosi-is-right-coronavirus-stimulus/923203/7 "2020-10-17T22:11:32Z")
The House passed a bill long ago, May, I believe. Trump has all this time been completely opposed to negotiating anything at all. Until now. Pelosi is right, Trump only, ONLY, wants to get checks bearing his name out there before the election. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2020, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pelosi-is-right-coronavirus-stimulus/923203/8 "2020-10-17T22:14:54Z")
Why shouldn’t they tell that to Trump and the Senate Republicans? The House already passed a bill. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2020, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pelosi-is-right-coronavirus-stimulus/923203/9 "2020-10-17T22:19:28Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Someone should tell Pelosi that for Americans who are struggling to make ends meet, the four months between now and February 2021 are a **long** time. How about telling that to McConnell? If the Democrats win both the presidency and the Senate, why would there need to be any delay past early early November, since passage in February will happen anyway? The _only_ reason for a delay to February would be because McConnell is fine with fucking over the country if that makes things slightly more difficult for the new administration. Have we reached a point that it’s so normal that the GOP will act irresponsibly to fuck the country if they feel they gain some partisan advantage from doing so, that we accept it as though they are not responsible for their own actions, and blame _other_ people for not pandering to what they want to stop them fucking us? ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2020, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pelosi-is-right-coronavirus-stimulus/923203/10 "2020-10-17T23:08:24Z")
According to reports, Pelosi and Mnuchin have been closing in on about a $2 billion package with Mnuchin increasingly giving ground on what she wants just to get Trump a deal, any deal. So I think her strategy has worked so far, but it’s getting to a point where she needs to cut the deal with Trump so she can put McConnel in a box. There’s no way he can get his caucus behind a $2 billion stimulus, so he’d either have to reject a deal that the Administration is party to or try to pass it with mostly Democratic votes. Either way, it puts Republican Senators in a no-win situation and gives Democrats another tool to hammer vulnerable Republican incumbents. ---
**Author:** ![DeadTreasSecretaries](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deadtreassecretaries/32/4817_2.png) [@DeadTreasSecretaries](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadTreasSecretaries)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2020, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pelosi-is-right-coronavirus-stimulus/923203/11 "2020-10-17T23:09:55Z")
The thing is that if Pelosi decided to accept one of the Republican proposals without any negotiation, that still wouldn’t guarantee passage. Pelosi is being expected to start at one Republican plan to negotiate against the other. If the Republicans are actually serious about negotiating and passing a relief bill, the goal should be to get the best deal possible that both helps Americans between now and February and isn’t a get out of jail free card for big business. If they aren’t, there is no reason to play their game. EDIT: Should also say that it would be stupid for Pelosi to assume the Democrats sweep. She has to factor in that even when the next term starts, we might still be in the same situation. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pelosi-is-right-coronavirus-stimulus/923203/12 "2020-12-03T15:39:00Z")
“Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer indicated their support for a bipartisan, bicameral coronavirus [$908 Billion] relief plan as the basis for future negotiations and called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to join talks over the multi-billion-dollar aid package.” > **[Pelosi and Schumer back $908 billion bipartisan COVID proposal as basis for...](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-relief-908-billion-bipartisan-proposal-pelosi-schumer/)** > > McConnell's proposal is separate from the bipartisan $908 billion plan proposed by lawmakers on Tuesday. So the Trump/Mnuchin $1.8 trillion proposal Pelosi rejected in October wasn’t good enough–but now a proposal half as big is basically acceptable to her? ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pelosi-is-right-coronavirus-stimulus/923203/13 "2020-12-03T16:30:15Z")
Surely there’s more to it than the number of zeroes on the bottom line. ---
**Author:** ![DeadTreasSecretaries](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deadtreassecretaries/32/4817_2.png) [@DeadTreasSecretaries](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadTreasSecretaries)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pelosi-is-right-coronavirus-stimulus/923203/14 "2020-12-03T17:48:14Z")
Yeah, I’m going to have to eat crow on this one. Seems like a pretty big loss there. They’re running up on the deadline for unemployment so I get that they have to do something right now. But if you have no leverage to do anything now, you have to give in to a smaller demand pre-election. I still think that the only reason democrats don’t have more leverage is that the GOP thinks they’re marks who will cave, so I’d still want them to hold the line and make the GOP own their failure, but Dem leadershi seems to disagree. In addition to the top-line figure, it looks like no check is going on, there’s no supplemental unemployment and businesses are going to be shielded from liability from coronavirus lawsuits. ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pelosi-is-right-coronavirus-stimulus/923203/15 "2020-12-03T21:06:47Z")
First, details matter. Last I heard, we didn’t have any details on the October proposal. McConnell’s proposal gives $500 billion to the American people! Except it’s almost none goes to actual people and includes protection from legal liability for employers that intentionally put their employees in harm’s way. It may be a $500b proposal, but it’s shit from the writer to the paper. > [@DeadTreasSecretaries](#): > > In addition to the top-line figure, it looks like no check is going on, there’s no supplemental unemployment and businesses are going to be shielded from liability from coronavirus lawsuits. First part is correct, second is wrong ($300 supplement as opposed to the earlier $600, but still there), and the third part is correct-ish - I haven’t seen details, only heard it described as “short-term”. That last part is a sticker for me, still. I don’t care who’s proposing it, employers shouldn’t get government-sanctioned approval to put their employees at greater risk. OSHA is something long-considered good in our nation. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pelosi-is-right-coronavirus-stimulus/923203/16 "2020-12-03T23:18:58Z")
Hindsite is 20/20 and all, but it does seem like it was a big misstep for Pelosi not to “get to yes” with Mnuchin on a stimulus package in October. All we know about the state of negotiations is what was reported in the media, obviously. And maybe there was some poison pill in what Mnuchin was putting on the table. But if there was in fact a $1.8 billion offer on the table, taking it would have given House Democrats a strong message to run on that they voted to deliver aid to struggling families. And it would have put Republicans in a tremendous bind, choosing between their fiscal conservative bona fides and supporting Dear Leader. Of course the risk was that it could have helped Trump, but I don’t think Trump could have done much better than he ended up doing. ---
**Author:** ![DeadTreasSecretaries](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deadtreassecretaries/32/4817_2.png) [@DeadTreasSecretaries](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadTreasSecretaries)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pelosi-is-right-coronavirus-stimulus/923203/17 "2020-12-03T23:35:55Z")
Ah, thanks for the correction.