His office declined to comment about the White House role in the talks.
Schumer said Thursday that the $2.4 trillion House-passed bill must be the starting point to any new stimulus talks, reinforcing the stalemate with the Senate.
‘Same Place’
“We’re at the same place,” Pelosi at a news conference with Schumer. “Even more so with the pandemic because look at these numbers. Look at these numbers. Look at the predictions of the scientific community.”
Pelosi didn’t respond to a question about whether she had spoken to anyone from the administration.
One vehicle for at least some Covid-19 assistance is a vital spending bill that will be needed to avoid the federal government shutting down after Dec. 11, when current funding runs out. House and Senate negotiators are working on an omnibus package that would include appropriations bills for funding through next September.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, an Alabama Republican, alluded to that possibility Thursday, saying about stimulus spending that “we could wrap it up” in the spending package. But he underscored Republicans’ limited appetite for relief: “we’re not going to do a big big big deal. So, mainly targeted at small business, and you know some people are hurting.”
McConnell said this week he plans to talk to Pelosi about the funding bill soon.
Democrats have rejected passing smaller, piecemeal virus relief bills, viewing that doing so would erode their leverage to get their priorities such as state and local aid and tax breaks for the working poor.
With assistance from Billy House and Justin Sink.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.