By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Congressman Sam Graves believes there will be another economic stimulus package. He just isn’t sure when Congress will vote.
Graves, a Republican, is encouraged that negotiators returned to talks after they had broken down.
“And that’s good news,” Graves tells St. Joseph Post. “It’s coming down to those things like, and I stand against, giving illegal immigrants stimulus checks. I just do not think that’s right or allowing states to dig themselves out of fiscal holes that they’ve created using these stimulus dollars.”
Still, Graves sees progress in the talks, primarily involving House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the White House.
“I do believe we will have a package,” Graves says. “I think they’ll bring us back in to vote. That may happen right before the election. It could happen right after the election, but I do believe that it will happen. One thing about it, after the election, once it’s over, that may grease those skids as well.”
Graves is prepared to return to Washington this week for a vote.
“If I were betting right now, I would say there’s a 70% chance it’ll happen before the election,” Grave says. “I think there will be a breakthrough.”
The House has proposed a $2.2 trillion package with the White House countering with a $1.8 trillion offer. Senate Republicans failed to push through a much smaller package.
Pelosi on Sunday told Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union” she hasn’t given up hope to reach a deal prior to the November 3rd election, but she acknowledges the sticking points seem to be more on policy than price.