House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she’s not giving up on passing another coronavirus relief economic package before the Nov. 3 election.
At issue is a huge virus relief bill that would send another $1,200 direct payment to most Americans, restart bonus unemployment benefits, fund additional testing and vaccines, provide aid to schools and allocate money to state and local governments, a Democratic priority.
Pelosi says she sent the administration a list of concerns on Friday and she is told that she’ll have answers on Monday.
Pelosi says she wants a relief bill that is predicated on steps that science dictates should be taken to deal with the coronavirus, and “if we don’t, we’re just giving money to the president to spend any way he wants and that has not been in furtherance of crushing the virus.”
Pelosi spoke on CNN. Earlier, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows says the administration has made many offers, but Pelosi “continues to move the goalposts.”
Meadows says the relief bill being negotiated would cost about $1.9 trillion. He says he has a commitment from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to bring a bill to the floor if negotiations with Pelosi conclude successfully.