Washington Post: “More than 30 million Americans lost access to enhanced jobless benefits because the talks unraveled, and the White House and Democratic leaders blame each other for the misstep. The U.S. economy remains extremely weak, and it’s unclear what will happen in the coming weeks and months as households struggle to adapt to school reopening plans and the expected onset of the next flu season. On top of all this, political talks appear to have completely halted.”
“In private, Pelosi began to refer to Meadows as ‘The Enforcer,’ the implication being he was there to ensure Mnuchin didn’t make a deal with the Democrats. Unlike in previous rounds, when Pelosi held out for a better deal for Democrats and ultimately forced major concessions from Republicans, this time administration officials, led by Meadows, walked away. Now, Democrats are facing questions about their tactics and whether playing hard ball will continue to work when someone like Meadows is intimately involved. President Trump on Monday alleged his refusal to accept Democrats’ demands had forced them to finally restart negotiations.On Twitter, Trump wrote that Pelosi and Schumer ‘Know my phone number!’ Democratic leaders said they have always wanted to cut a deal and that their position hadn’t changed since the executive actions were signed.”