Better to talk with us than steamroll us. Because we had input into the bill, it is a much better bill. Leader mcconnells bill was simply a bill for ppe. We werent against increasing it, but there was so much more to do. First, there were so many people in my state and throughout the small, did note know a big shot banker, and could not get loans. That is because the way the ppe loan program was structured helped those who were larger, more successful companies. We wanted to deal with the butcher and the baker and candlestick maker, the average Small Business person. We needed to get them help. And so under the leadership, really, of our Banking Committee folks maxine waters, Sherrod Brown and ben cardin we greatly expanded the program and walled out 125 billion that will go to rural areas, minority areas, unbanked people. The smaller people will not have to compete with the pot bellies. They will be in their own separate pool. It will be one of the greatest infusions to the innercity sense the Community Reinvestment since the Community Reinvestment act. We are proud of that provision. It is one of the most progressive things done in the banking area in a long time. We also knew testing from one end of america to the other, people were crying out, we need testing. Business people, mayors, and most of all, scientists and doctors we need testing. We will not get america moving again until we have a nationwide, well thought out, well executed testing program. And this administration does not have one. We originally proposed 30 billion, but we got 25 billion. Most important, we are forcing the administration to report to congress on what is the National Testing Program Involving manufacturing and supply chains, involving free testing, and involving contact tracing. Because they are laggard. You cannot tell people to go out on the streets unless there is adequate testing, or the fear is corona will come back doubly as hard. We got that done. That is very important. We got money for our hospitals. They are hurting. The hospitals that are hurting that are treating coronavirus patients and many that are not treating corona patients. But they are foregoing elective surgery. In my state alone, hospital after hospital is furloughing and laying off people. St. Peters and albanys laying off people. These are not hotspots. Of the four major things we pushed for, we got three. Over republican resistance, but they knew they needed us. The one thing we did not get was state and local government. We are deeply disappointed. It is not state and local government, it is policeman environment, bus drivers, people who work in municipal hospitals and many others who are vital. They should not be laid off. That is why we wanted to help state and local governments. We got one change, just one, but it is important. We got a commitment from the president and secretary mnuchin that they will be able to use their state and local money that them to are giving deal with revenue losses. That was the second most important thing they wanted other than more money. One final thing. Broad, bolde a big, covid form. For anyone who thinks this is the last train out of the station, that is not the case. The speaker and i will work on that very soon and very quickly. It will have a lot of stuff too long to list, but i want to mention a few of the priorities election reform, money for housing. There is three months of rent forbearance, but what do people do after that . The postal service, money for a heroes fund. And at the top of the list is a big, robust state and local plan. We will fight for that and many other things in covid 4 which will soon be upon us because the nation will demand it. Speaker pelosi. Rep. Pelosi thank you on the unanimous vote in the senate today, on the package we recommended two weeks ago. Two weeks ago today, secretary mnuchin called me and said he wanted a quarter of 1 trillion, 250 billion in 48 hours. That was tuesday. Then on thursday leader mcconnell brought this bill to the floor and he wanted our support for it. I told him that wasnt possible. We had to have our consultation with House Democrats about what we would propose. Of april,ay, the 8th Congressional Democrats came together around the proposal described by the distinguished leader already on how we address the under banked, how we address the rural, native americans, people of color, those considered the underbanked. It was a principal for us that we were not going to spend hundreds of billions of taxpayers dollars to harden the disparity and access to capital that already exists in our economy. This was a way to open that door. Funding forr said, hospitals and testing. Today, two weeks from that tuesday of the request, when the republicans and administration replied there was no way they would join us, that they had the 250, there would be nothing else. They took a defeat on the floor because Congressional Democrats , rejecting our proposal, which is what they passed today. In terms of holding up the work, they were the ones that held up the work for a package that is goe fair than the rest as we forward. They like to say we held up no, they held up. We prevailed. This is a victory for smaller businesses, as the leader said, who did not have banking relationships. They dont need that under this relationship this legislation as past. We supporting is how our heroes. Under the framework of state and local government, we have healthcare workers, transit allers, police, fire, ems, kinds of Public Employees who risk their lives to save lives and now lose their jobs. This is most fortunate. It cannot stand. Revenuee huge loss of because of what is happening to the economy. They have huge loss of revenue because what is happening in their Public Hospitals and the rest in terms of other procedures. They have enormous coronavirus cost. Want the legislation passed in the next bill to have that need recognized with both covid andr the cares 1 bill corona 4. We have to get our names now. Are we going to call it covid 4 . Covid 4. Everyone knows what that is. Some of which we have not been able to get in other bills. Under the framework of our heroes, our health care workers, our police and fire, etc. , the list goes on of our Public Employees who are so essential to the success of our society. Under that, we want to be sure there is safety in the workplace, that people are not laid off, that they are employed, that their pensions are protected, that we have the ppe to protect them as they do their jobs and we do so in a way that is value spaced as we go forward. Oshave legislation the legislation, which they have rejected before. The snap to feed the American People, which they rejected before, which we hope to incorporate. This is about the livelihoods of the American People. All,the chronology of it two weeks ago and they asked for a quarter of 1 trillion with nothing put forth to improve the situation. On thursday of that week, they were rejected. They said they would bring it up the following monday, then thursday, and the day since this past thursday they have seen the light. We had a great victory for the American People, but we certainly need to do more. Our first bill on this i will close with this three bills we passed in march, all bipartisan. This bill is bipartisan. The next bill will be bipartisan. That is important for us to work together. But we have to insist on the truth. On march 4, we passed a bill we worked on in february in the house. Testing, testing, testing. The recognition that that was the key to everything. And so, as we close off with this bill, testing. 25 billion in there for testing, for hotspots and others, for initiatives that enable us to test, to recognize that we must find out the context, that those contacts that those who tested positive engaged with, and we must have isolation, quarantine. Testing, contacts, and isolation. That is the way we will open up our economy. Everyone is restless. Cabin fever has set in in many ways. I am so proud of the American People. They care about the health of their own loved ones and families and the health of their country. Overwhelmingly they have said they dont think we should open up before we are ready from the standpoint of the health and wellbeing of the American People. We want to facilitate that with testing, testing, testing, contact tracing, isolation, treatment, prevention first and foremost. I am sure the leader would be happy to take any questions. Sen. Schumer the three ts. Go ahead. Reporter leader mcconnell said before you came to the podium that he wants the full senate to come back before considering the next release legislation. Relief legislation. Any reaction to that . Sen. Schumer we have to put the American People first, but we also have to listen to the medical experts. We set an example. If we were to come back prematurely, that would set a bad example. I would like to be governed by the medical experts. I would like to be in person voting than by doing it in an isolated way, but there is a balancing test. We have to listen to the experts. Yes . Reporter senator schumer, i asked senator mcconnell if enough has been done to help Small Businesses get loans. Sen. Schumer it is a good question for senator mcconnell. He resisted the changes. We have taken a giant step forward. Have we done everything we need to do for Small Businesses . No. Have we taken a huge step forward so they will be in better shape than before this bill passed . Absolutely. Leader mcconnell did not propose a thing. Servednt Program Better Small Businesses. They proposed no increases for those. We got significant increases in both of them. Rep. Pelosi i am proud of the work of maxine waters, the chair of the Banking Committee, and the chair of the Small Business committee. Minority women, women of power in the congress, chairs of important committees who proposed working with their counterparts in the senate that were mentioned by the leader, this legislation that would benefit these under banked Small Businesses. 60 billion for this particular purpose. It would not have been there without the democratic proposal, praising our colleagues on the senate floor. This is designed to make a change on how we recognize the vitality of our economy. It is about Small Business. The entrepreneurship, the optimism to create a Small Business you have heard me say nothing more optimistic you have heard me say again and again, nothing more optimistic than starting a Small Business except maybe getting married. There are many Small Businesses that do not have the same kind of relationships with banks on a firstcome, firstserved basis that make them benefit. This has been a drastic change. As the leader said, it will make a difference for the future. Will you allow proxy voting for the First Time Ever in the house . Rep. Pelosi we have to pass a rule to enable proxy voting. So the ppp will be on the basis of present and voting. Then we will go from there. Whenever we would do on proxy voting at this time would be strictly related to the coronavirus. How we have a discussion further is when we are more fully present to do so. To your question about coming back, its not just about us, its about the staff, the press, the security, those who run the buildings that we have to look out for their wellbeing because we care about them, but we also care about the people they go home to, their children and families as well. I have a twopart question, if both of you could answer it. What do you say to those who say the package isnt enough, that theres not enough funds, not enough for hospitals . And madam speaker, you said you are advocating for provisions in covid 4 already rejected by republicans. Why are you confident that in the next package they will agree . Sen. Schumer on the first thing, we agree it is not enough. This was an interim package. If there would be no covid 4, that would be a real problem, but there is going to be a covid 4. We will augment state and local business and do many other things. We know there will be a covid 4 because President Trump is demanding it. He wants to do infrastructure in it. Mnuchin, meadows have set it to us repeatedly and they will need a covid 4 to get america going again. Covid 4 will be more along the lines of covid 2, bold and robust, more things than covid 3. Thats the purpose of covid 3. 5, which they laid out, was to augment existing programs that didnt have enough money and were not aimed at the right people. Covid 4 will be a world of difference. Bigger, bolder, better. Rep. Pelosi to your point, the president said he did not want to do state and local because he wanted to do it in another bill. He has also said in his agreement to the pension language that he would agree to it, Mitch Mcconnell said i want to do it in another bill. The public very much cares about the health and wellbeing of our heroes, healthcare workers, First Responders who risked their lives to save other peoples lives and now could lose their jobs. So the sympathy, not the sympathy the empathy, the gratitude people have is what will hold us in good stead when when we talk about needing osha, better protection language for them for their safety in the workplace. All of these things have been discussed with the idea that we will take it up later. This is later. On that score, almost every surveys shows that the American People care so much about First Responders and health care workers. I think we are unworthy, how grateful we are to all of them, how much we praise them without providing them the equipment they need. The equipment they need to save lives, the paychecks they need to survive. Howou said 600 hospitals , could this be . I think that because of commitments and statements of the republicans on these issues will take it up next, and because of the great mobilization and concern of the American People, which is, as lincoln said, public sentiment is everything. How they have their voices heard will help us get a strong package next time. That is right now. We are on our way because some were overlapped from before. Some that relate to state and local. And thats a running start at running start on it. Sen. Schumer i would say one more thing. Each time this has come up, the bills have moved in our direction. Why . As the speaker said, public sentiment is everything. The American People and even our republican friends deep down realize something. They believe in the private sector. The private sector cant handle this problem. Its too big for them. Individuals, as brave as they are, cannot handle it alone. The only answer is a strong, active government. That is why we had the upper hand in each case. Republicans start out with a small thing in covid 3 aimed at corporate america. Why did we win . A lot of reasons. The unity of our caucuses and the strength of our caucuses, the support of the American People, but ultimately our answers are the better answers to the covid crisis, which is a more strong, active, focused government. Rep. Pelosi i might add there are two challenges we had in our respectful disagreement in debate in congress, governance and science. Our colleagues on the others of the aisle have an unease with science. If they didnt, we would have long ago been testing, testing, testing in the fullest way. Testing, contact tracing, isolation much sooner than we did. Ir delay and the denial caused deaths because they didnt respect science and they dont favor governance. Now they have to get used to the idea that the path to the future, to opening up our economy, and our society again is science, science, science, governance, governance, governance. Have you received those commitments from senate republicans, state and local funds . Rep. Pelosi we did on pensions from republicans. Sen. Schumer on the pensions bill which we really care about, the blockage there, we did get some republican support. Even President Trump, i called the president on President Trump, and urged him. The block was Mitch Mcconnell. There is a lot of republican senators want to help with this issue. On others, we may not have support now, but we will get it. Rep. Pelosi we had a large number helping us on the hospital issues. Although we didnt get anything we always want more, because the , crisis continues to grow. But they have 11 republican senators who shared the view on how to go forward with the hospitals and i think it helped us make the progress we have to make. Remember, this one principle here that the leader has been a champion on, and that is when we are talking about meeting the needs of our hospitals and meeting the needs of our heroes, First Responders and health care people, is that we have to recognize the lost revenue that they have. Lost revenue for the Public Sector of the economy, not producing the revenue that it should, for hospitals, other opportunities they would have to pay the bills in the hospital, they dont have that cash flow. One of the fights we were successful with on this was recognizing revenue loss as well as for hospitals. Revenue loss as well as coronavirus expenses. That makes a very big difference for them. It makes a big difference for state and local, which we will be addressing in the next bill. Sen. Schumer in the hospital bill, they talk about the ways to get the money we insisted, this was also last night around midnight, the expenses for corona and revenue losses. They resisted but we won that fight. Should we take one more . Wait, two more. You had a chance. You go, then you. [laughter] reporter earlier this morning, on a radio show, attorney general william barr said the department of justice would support legal action against the states who continue to enact strict social distancing rules even after coronavirus cases dropped. Sen. Schumer so much for states rights. [laughter] i think he will be way off base. I think he will lose legally. His view of an over arcing, almost monarchical president never ceases to amaze me. Rep. Pelosi science, science, science is the answer to our prayers. I feel sad for some of the people going out on the streets and the rest, because i am afraid for their safety. Of course they have the right to do what they do, but i dont want them endangering themselves or their families when they go home. But i think the attorney general has injected himself into a place that i think even the public knows does not make sense. I wish he would come to that conclusion. Thank you very much. Sen. Schumer wait, she gets the last one. Reporter how quickly do you want a covid 4 to happen, and if leader mcconnell indicated he wants the republicans to give back, what is the solution . How will this happen . The needs of the public will have to be predominant. Not our needs. We will listen to medical experts. As nancy said, there are so many others who work here but the needs of the public will have to be predominant. Rep. Pelosi thank you. Sen. Schumer thank you. Announcer the house is expected to take up the latest Coronavirus Relief bill at thursday, 10 00 a. M. Easter. Eastern. Steny hoyer has advised that a voice vote is not expected at this time, meaning lawmakers would have to be present for a recorded vote. Additionally, the house plans to consider a rule change that would allow one member to vote on another members behalf if they are unable to appear in person. As always, follow the house live here on cspan. We will hearxt from Florida Governor ron desantis on efforts to expand coronavirus testing and increase the supply of equipment to his estate. Two his estate
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