Some senators said that the spending levels being discussed were unacceptable and that ballooning the deficit will damage their standing with voters. Others said that a deal of that size would hand Pelosi and the Democrats a major victory right before the election, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
There also were objections to some of the policies, including expanding eligibility for the Affordable Care Act, which Republicans have been trying to dismantle, and aid to state governments.
Mnuchin and Meadows told the senators they would relay their concerns to the president, who last week urged the negotiators to “go big.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who previously warned that some in the GOP won’t back another large stimulus package, has said there probably isn’t enough time to get any deal passed before the election.
Federal Reserve officials, led by Chairman Jerome Powell, have also stepped up their calls for a broad relief package to shore up the shaky U.S. economy.
Mnuchin and Meadows, in a letter Sunday directed at members of the House and Senate, again called for a more narrowly focused stimulus, citing the same areas as Kudlow.
“The all-or-nothing approach is an unacceptable response to the American people,” they wrote, a reference to Pelosi’s insistence that any relief package be broad and include provisions to stem the spread of the coronavirus and assist state and local governments.
Some lawmakers from both parties are pushing their leaders for a resolution.
“People in need can’t wait until February. 1.8 trillion is significant & more than twice Obama stimulus,” California Democratic Representative Ro Khanna wrote on Twitter. “Make a deal & put the ball in McConnell court.”
--With assistance from Rita Nazareth and Vildana Hajric.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.