United States: Democrats downgrade their proposed economic aid plan

Democrats on Monday presented Congress with a $ 2.2 trillion aid plan for the U.S. economy hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, taking more than $ 1,000 billion from a first proposal in the hope of convincing Republicans after months of stagnation.

In a deeply divided Congress in the run-up to the presidential and parliamentary elections on November 3, the chances of reaching an agreement have greatly diminished.

But Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Donald Trump's Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin appear poised for another round of negotiations.

The two spoke briefly Monday night by phone after the presentation of the new Democratic text, and

according to the Democrat's deputy chief of staff, Drew Hammill.

Read also: Coronavirus: a $ 1.3 trillion rescue plan to save the US economy

This new plan

Nancy Pelosi wrote to her parliamentary group, just before the call.

she said.

This plan

, she stressed.

The Democrats had approved in May in the House, where they hold the majority, a first titanic version of this aid plan ("Heroes Act") which amounted at the time to 3.400 billion dollars.

After advocating a "pause" in measures to support the economy in May, the Republicans had started new negotiations this summer but had refused to pay more than 1,000 billion dollars.

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At the end of March, shortly after the sudden paralysis of the American economy, suddenly hit by the pandemic, Republicans and Democrats had almost unanimously adopted a historic plan of 2,200 billion dollars.

It included funds for SMEs, a moratorium to prevent evictions and $ 600 a week aid for the unemployed, and had been supplemented by $ 500 billion in new measures by the end of April.