What's on the table in pandemic relief talks

President Trump and Senate Republicans are beginning negotiations with House Democrats on a new round of pandemic fiscal relief. Here are some of the major policies under consideration:

Payroll tax cut

Trump strongly supports providing a payroll tax cut to workers and their employers, but the proposal is not popular with Senate Republicans or Democrats.

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows met with Senate Republicans on Tuesday and said the president is committed to including the payroll tax cut in the next relief bill despite the opposition in the Senate.

Republican John Cornyn of Texas, who advises Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, said inclusion of the proposal would be “problematic.”

Democrats also don’t support the measure. Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden from Oregon last week said the tax cut would benefit people who have jobs instead of helping those who are out of work.

“A payroll tax cut would do nothing to help the 20 million workers who have lost their jobs and little for those working significantly reduced hours,” he said.

The measure would also get bipartisan pushback in the House, according to a senior Democratic aide.