Chair Clyburn Denounces Trump’s Abandonment of Coronavirus Relief Negotiations

Washington, D.C. (October 6, 2020) – Today, Rep. James E. Clyburn, Chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, issued the following statement after President Trump tweeted that he is ending coronavirus relief negotiations until after the presidential election:

"Millions of Americans are in desperate need of immediate assistance to stay in their homes, obtain necessary health care, educate their children, put food on their tables, pay their utility bills, and make so many other ends meet during this pandemic. While President Trump may be on a political timetable, the American people are not—they need help now, not after the election. Former Fed Chair Ben Bernanke, appointed by President Bush, told the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis that Congress needs to do ‘whatever it takes' to ensure a strong economic recovery. President Trump, unfortunately, appears to be doing whatever it takes to deny relief to struggling Americans.

"I always say that if there are five steps between me and a negotiating partner, I don't mind taking three if the other side will take the other two. President Trump has decided instead to turn his back on the negotiating table and turn his back on Americans who are suffering."

More than 26 million Americans were receiving jobless benefits as of mid-September, according to the Department of Labor's October 1, 2020 release. That same day, the House passed an updated Heroes Act to deliver urgently needed health and economic relief to American families.

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