The lead negotiators haggling for another round of emergency coronavirus relief met in person Wednesday for the first time in weeks, with both sides citing …
The lead negotiators haggling for another round of emergency coronavirus relief met in person Wednesday for the first time in weeks, with both sides citing headway in the search for an elusive compromise — but no deal to report. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin huddled for roughly 90 minutes in the Speaker’s office in the Capitol, emerging with hopes that an evasive bipartisan agreement is within their grasp. “We’re gonna go back and do a little more work again,” Mnuchin said. “I think we’ve made a lot of progress in a lot of areas.” Pelosi offered a similar assessment, pointing to unspecified issues where the sides “are seeking further clarification.” “Our conversation will continue,” she said in a statement. Before the meeting, Mnuchin told CNBC, “We’re going to give it one more serious try to get this done, and I think we’re hopeful that we can get something done.” The surprise meeting marked the first time the pair had met face-to-face since Aug.7, when the talks over another massive round of coronavirus aid hit a brick wall over differences in both the size of the package and specific spending goals within it. Democrats had offered a $2.2 trillion proposal, while Republicans countered with roughly $1.1 trillion. When neither side budged, the negotiations dissolved and remained stalled for almost two months. The resumption of talks comes as both parties are facing increasing pressure to set aside their differences and secure an agreement to help struggling families, industries and small businesses left devastated by the global pandemic. The United States passed a grim milestone last week when the number of domestic coronavirus deaths topped 200,000. Millions of workers remain unemployed, thousands of businesses are at risk of shuttering and countless schools are struggling to reopen safely this fall.
