That means a stopgap spending bill to keep the government functioning beyond Oct. 1 is all but assured -- offering a hard deadline for action on stimulus.
Pelosi on Sunday shot down the idea of combining virus relief and the appropriations process on Sunday, saying negotiators must get back to the table before then.
“Well, we have to. We have to,” Pelosi said during an appearance on CNN.
As of Tuesday afternoon, however, there still had been no direct communication between Pelosi and Mnuchin since Friday, according to an official familiar with the matter. Other congressional officials on both sides of the political aisle also said there had been no contact between her and McConnell, although they were holding out hope talks might be rejuvenated this week.
Perception War
Both the Republicans and Democrats are trying to win the perception war, and appear as having done more to compromise with an unreasonable partner.
McConnell has homed in on Democratic demands to reinstate state and local tax deductions that benefit wealthy homeowners in high-tax areas and to transfer some $915 billion to state and local governments.
“When the Speaker and the Democratic Leader say they will not allow another cent for schools to re-open or for the job-saving PPP unless they get a trillion dollars for a state and local slush fund that’s completely out of proportion to actual needs, they are playing hardball against children and parents,” McConnell argued on the Senate floor.
Democrats focus on the top-line level of spending, saying they were willing to shift from their $3.4 trillion House-passed proposal.
“Democrats offered to come down by $1 trillion. We asked our counterparts, Secretary Mnuchin, Mr. Meadows, to come up by $1 trillion. Meet us in the middle. They said no,” Schumer said Tuesday on the Senate floor.
“Facing the greatest domestic crisis of the 21st Century, where Americans are hurting health-wise and economically, the Senate Republican majority ran down the clock, tossed up an air ball, and then subbed themselves out of the game,” Schumer said.