There were signs of life for a stimulus agreement Thursday morning, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying she and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin were “almost there” on some major points.
Pelosi said she and Mnuchin had nearly agreed on how to allocate money for testing and tracing to safely reopen schools and the economy but that three key points–Democrats’ demands for aid to state and local governments, school funding, and Republican insistence on a liability shield for employers–remained in discussion.
“We continue to be engaged in negotiations and I am hopeful we will be able to reach agreement,” Pelosi said at a news conference.
The optimism was in contrast to Wednesday evening, when talks had stalled, prompting President Trump to tweet his displeasure.
Trump went after Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, spotlighting their role over coronavirus relief provisions. He accused Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Pelosi (D-Calif.) of focusing too much money on bailing out Democratic cities and states, as Democrats blocked a Republican-sponsored relief bill in the Senate.
One Trump tweet from Wednesday: “Just don’t see any way Nancy Pelosi and Cryin’ Chuck Schumer will be willing to do what is right for our great American workers, or our wonderful USA itself, on Stimulus. Their primary focus is BAILING OUT poorly run (and high crime) Democrat cities and states…. “
Pelosi and Mnuchin were set to talk again by phone later Thursday.
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