IF WE COULD DO THAT, IF WE TAKE
DOWN A TRILLION AND THEY ADD A
TRILLION, WE’LL BE WITHIN RANGE.
>> PUT IN A TRILLION, JAKE, TAKE
OUT A TRILLION.
WHEN THE SIDES ARE THIS FAR
APART, WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE
MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WHO ARE
LITERALLY JUST DESPERATE FOR
THIS TO HAPPEN?
AND WHAT WOULD YOU EXPECT THE
CONVERSATION IS GOING TO BE LIKE
IN THAT MEETING RIGHT NOW, JAKE?
>> WELL, A FEW THINGS.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU’RE TALKING
ABOUT 5 OR 6 DOLLARS HERE, YOU
COME DOWN 5, WE’LL COME UP 5.
BUT IT’S NOT.
IT’S TRILLION DOLLARS.
AND KEEP IN MIND MOST
REPUBLICANS ARE -- REPUBLICANS
ARE DIVIDED HERE.
SOME BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE
ANOTHER RELIEF PACKAGE.
SOME BELIEVE THERE SHOULDN’T.
SO THIS IS NOT JUST AS EASY AS
COME UP A TRILLION, COME DOWN A
TRILLION.
NANCY PELOSI MADE THAT OFFER
LAST NIGHT IN HER MEETING IN THE
CAPITOL AND THE REPUBLICANS
REJECTED IT.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS JUST ANOTHER
OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT SAME
CONVERSATION AGAIN.
NOW, LISTEN, ON A LOT OF ISSUES
HERE REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS
ARE QUITE CLOSE.
BUT ON THE BIG ISSUES,
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE, STATE
AID -- STATE AND LOCAL AID, THEY
ARE VERY FAR APART.
AND THERE’S A LOT -- A HUGE
DIVIDE TO BRIDGE.
THIS IS NOT THE SECOND MEETING.
THIS WILL BE THE 11th MEETING IN
12 DAYS BETWEEN THESE FOUR
PRINCIPALS.
SO I DON’T THINK THIS IS A -- I
DON’T REALLY SEE ANYTHING
HAPPENING NEW HERE.
I COULD BE WRONG.
I COULD BE MISTAKEN.
I DON’T LIKE TO PREDICT.
BUT IF FAST IS PRECEDENT, THEY
ARE FAR APART AND REFARMAIN FAR
APART.
>> I KNOW I KEEP GOING BACK TO
THIS, BUT THERE ARE MILLIONS OF
PEOPLE OUT THERE FRUSTRATED AND
SCARED BY THIS LACK OF PROGRESS.
THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING TO
HAPPEN.
WHAT DO THEY MAKE OF THE FACT
THAT AT LEAST SOME SENATORS HAVE
SAID THEY’RE HEADING HOME?
I MEAN, GIVE ME A SENSE.
I KNOW IT’S THE FOUR PLAYERS WHO
ARE IN THAT ROOM WHO ARE
ULTIMATELY GOING TO MAKE THE
DECISION, BUT WHAT KIND OF
FEELING ARE YOU GETTING THERE?
IS THIS A SIGNAL THAT NOBODY’S
EXPECTING A DEAL ANYTIME SOON?
>> WELL, PEOPLE WOULD HAVE
STAYED IN TOWN IF THEY THOUGHT A
DEAL WAS IN THE OFFING, AND THEY
DIDN’T STAY HOME, THEY ALL WENT
HOME, CHRIS, AS YOU JUST NOTED.
NOW, LISTEN, BOTH CHAMBERS ARE
ON 24-HOUR NOTICE.
SO THE LEADERSHIP WILL GIVE THEM
24 OR SO HOURS TO COME BACK TO
THE CAPITOL TO VOTE ON A DEAL IF
IT’S IMMINENT.
AS YOU SAID, THE FOUR PLAYERS
ARE IN THE ROOM.
BUT LISTEN, IF YOU ARE COUNTING
ON THESE ENHANCED UNEMPLOYMENT
BENEFITS OR AN EXTENSION OF THE
PPP PROGRAM OR YOU ARE A STATE
OR LOCAL OFFICIAL WHO’S COUNTING
ON FEDERAL MONEY TO HELP PLUG
THE GAP FROM STEEP LOSSES FROM
THIS VIRUS, YOU’RE IN BIG
TROUBLE BECAUSE THEY ARE
COMPLETELY AT A DEADLOCK AND
THERE’S NO SENSE AT ALL THAT
THEY ARE GETTING ANY CLOSER TO
EACH OTHER AFTER TWO WEEKS.
TWO WEEKS AGO TO THE DAY WAS THE
FIRST REAL MEETING BETWEEN THESE
FOUR PRINCIPALS.
AND AGAIN, NO PROGRESS, NOT ONE
IOTA.
MAYBE ONE IOTA, ONE SPECK OF
PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE.
>> YEAH.
AND AS YOU POINT OUT, THE PEOPLE
WHO WANT TO SEE IF THEIR
BENEFITS ARE GOING TO BE
RENEWED.
BUT I WAS JUST THINKING TODAY AS
GOVERNOR CUOMO WAS MAKING HIS
ANNOUNCEMENT, SCHOOLS THAT ARE
MAKING PLANS TO REOPEN, THEY
WANT TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF MONEY
THERE’S GOING TO BE THERE.
THE LIST OF PEOPLE WHOSE LIVES,
WHOSE JOBS, BHOOZ SORT OF
MISSION IN THE CASE OF LET’S SAY
A SCHOOL DISTRICT IS BEING PUT
ON HOLD IS STILL ON HOLD.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
AND REPUBLICANS, BY THE WAY, FOR
SCHOOL FUNDING THEY’RE -- THIS
IS THE CRITICISM OF DEMOCRATS
FOR MANY REPUBLICANS.
WHICH IS REPUBLICANS HAVE
OFFERED $105 BILLION IN NEW
MONEY FOR SCHOOLS, WHICH IS
TOUGH FOR A LOT OF DEMOCRATS TO
SAY NO TO.
DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN CLOSER TO
$400 MILLION AND $175 BILLION
FOR K THROUGH 12 EDUCATION.
SO THERE’S A LOT OF MONEY
WASHING AROUND IN THIS DEAL, AND
MAYBE DEMOCRATS WILL TEMPER SOME
OF THEIR ASKS AND MAYBE
REPUBLICANS WILL GO UP ON SOME
OF THEIR ASKS.
THERE’S JUST A LOT OF NEW MONEY
AT STAKE HERE.
THERE’S A LOT TO BE HAD HERE FOR
BOTH SIDES BUT AT THIS POINT WE
DON’T SEE ANY BRIDGING OF THE
GAP.
AND YOU’RE RIGHT.