Administration officials call on Congress to immediately pass bill to spend unused PPP funds

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called on congressional leaders to vote on legislation allowing the federal government to spend unused Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds.

“The House has passed two separate partisan bills instead of compromising with us on bipartisan legislation like we have done in the past. We will continue to try to work with Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi [D-Calif.] and Senator [Charles] Schumer [D-N.Y.],” Meadows and Mnuchin wrote. “It is not just about the top-line number but also about legislation that can be passed by both the House and the Senate and signed into law by President Trump to help the American people.”

“Now is the time for us to come together and immediately vote on a bill to allow us to spend the unused Paycheck Protection Program funds while we continue to work toward a comprehensive package,” they added. “The all-or-nothing approach is an unacceptable response to the American people.”

Letter from Secretary @stevenmnuchin1 and @WhiteHouse Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to Members of Congress on the stimulus negotiations ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/KJp61eZNph

— Monica Crowley (@TreasurySpox) October 11, 2020

The White House has sent mixed messages on further coronavirus relief. Last week, President Trump announced an end to stimulus negotiations until after the November election before reversing himself Friday, telling conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh he would “like to see a bigger stimulus package” than either the GOP or Democrats had proposed.

The president has since said he would be open to a further round of PPP funding, direct payments to individuals and aid to airlines.