‘Fire them all’ — GOP governor rips Congress for inability to reach coronavirus stimulus deal

Senate Republicans proposed relief legislation that cost about $1 trillion in late July. That largely began the series of on-and-off negotiations that have taken place following the expiration of key provisions to the earlier bipartisan agreement Congress struck in March.

Last week, Senate Republicans tried to advance a $500 billion stimulus bill, but the effort was blocked again by Democrats.

Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who has led talks for the Trump administration, have spoken frequently in the past week as the two sides sought to reach an agreement before the Nov. 3 election. While a deal before that deadline seems unlikely, Pelosi said as recently as Thursday she was “optimistic” a deal would be reached eventually.

Representatives for Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on Sununu’s remarks.

Sununu said he believes Congress will ultimately reach an accord on a stimulus package after the election, likely in early 2021. The cost will likely be “astronomical” if Democrats win the White House and both the House and Senate, said Sununu, whose father served as New Hampshire’s governor in the 1980s. Sununu’s brother represented the state in both the U.S. House, from 1997 to 2003, and the Senate, from 2003 to 2009.

In general, though, Sununu said the failure of Congress to set aside ideological differences during the pandemic is further alienating American voters and could have implications in future elections. “I think the people of America are sick and tired of nothing. You’ve got to manage. You’ve got to move the ball forward. You have to show leadership in something,” he said. “They’ve done virtually nothing.”

Article source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/26/gov-chris-sununu-fire-all-of-congress-over-covid-relief-impasse.html