Chris Wallace Confronts Mnuchin Over Covid Relief: Won’t Millions ‘Pay the Price’ Because White House, GOP ‘Can’t Get Your Act Together’?

Fox News’ Chris Wallace spoke with Treasury Sec. Steve Mnuchin Sunday morning about the ongoing negotiations over the next round of covid relief and the arguing going on between the White House and Senate Republicans.

Wallace noted how House Democrats passed their relief bill two months ago but “here we are the last week in July and the White House and Senate Republicans still can’t agree” on what they want, bringing up disagreements Republicans have aired privately and publicly about their issues with the White House proposal.

And given how the ban on evictions ran out Saturday and temporary unemployment benefits are ending Friday and the Payroll Protection Program is running out soon, Wallace asked, “Won’t millions of Americans, and millions of businesses, pay the price, because the White house and senate Republicans can’t get your act together?”

Mnuchin called that an “unfair characterization,” insisting that the White House and Republican are “completely on the same page” now.

“This is all about kids and jobs. This is our focus, and we want to make sure something gets passed quickly so that we deal with the unemployment and all the other issues, Paycheck Protection Plan, tax credits to rehire people, and money for schools.”

“But Mr. Secretary, the plan was supposed to be announced on Wednesday, then Thursday, now it’s next week,” Wallace said. “And it’s two months after the Democrats came up with their plan and now you’re going to have to start negotiating with Democrats now that you have a Republican plan… What are laid-off workers and what are struggling businesses supposed to do while you spend, as the White House chief of staff just said until sometime in August, negotiating with Democrats?”

Mnuchin said they do have a plan and acknowledged “the most pressing issues are the fact that we have unemployment insurance running out.”

As he continued defending the proposal, Wallace also asked about the plan to reduce the federal unemployment benefit and why the administration “caved” on a payroll tax cut.

You can watch above, via Fox News Sunday.