The White House on Friday (July 31) sought to put the onus on Democrats in Congress for a failure to renew expiring federal jobless benefits, saying they had rejected four offers put forward by the Trump administration without countering.

“The Democrats believe that they have all the cards on their side and they’re willing to play those cards at the expense of those that are hurting,” White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told reporters.

Lawmakers and the White House are at odds over efforts to further shore up the economy and manage the novel coronavirus pandemic, which has left tens of millions of Americans out of work and killed at least 152,384 people in the United States.

In a meeting Thursday (July 30) night between top White House officials and congressional Democratic leaders, negotiations focused on an extension of the $600 per week in federal unemployment benefits, which Americans who lost jobs because of the health crisis have been receiving in addition to state jobless payments.

The Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sent senators home for the weekend without reaching a deal.

According to a person familiar with the closed-door negotiations, the White House proposed reducing the $600 weekly payment to $400 for the next four months. While that was a move toward the demands of Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, the source said they rejected it as insufficient.

On Thursday, Senate Republicans tried, without success, to pass a bill reducing the jobless benefit to $200 per week.

For weeks, McConnell has said any deal must include a shield for companies and schools from liability lawsuits as they reopen.

The source, who asked not to be identified, said the White House hinted that it could embrace a deal without that provision.

Democrats want a wide-ranging economic stimulus bill that would include about $1 trillion in aid to state and local governments experiencing plunging revenues during the economic downturn.

In mid-May, the Democratic-controlled House passed a $3 trillion bill that the Republican Senate has ignored. (Reuters)

(Production: Deborah Gembara)