US COVID-19 aid talks go on but Republican leader says deal unlikely before election

WASHINGTON: US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would resume talks on a possible COVID-19 stimulus package with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Friday, while Senate Republicans voiced doubts that a deal can be reached before the Nov. 3 election.

The leading Democrat in Congress, Pelosi said she hoped to reach an agreement on long-sought coronavirus relief as she prepared for a third straight day of talks with Mnuchin, representing the White House in their talks.

"I do hope that we will have an agreement soon," she said on MSNBC. Optimism over a possible agreement raised US stock prices and set the stage for the second straight weekly market gain.

But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in Congress, said he doubted lawmakers would pass a package before the Nov. 3 presidential election. He has not directly participated in the talks.

"The proximity to the election and the differences of opinion over what is needed at this particular juncture are pretty vast," McConnell told a news conference in his home state of Kentucky.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the White House was drawing up a $1.8 trillion proposal, closer to the $2.2 trillion that Pelosi has floated. However, Senate Republicans have warned that they might not support a package near the $2 trillion mark.

Republican President Donald Trump, who initially withdrew from the negotiations this week only to regain interest in forging a bipartisan accord, said he was open to a larger deal.

"I would like to see a bigger stimulus package, frankly, than either the Democrats or the Republicans are offering," he said in an interview with conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh.

Pelosi emphasized the need for aid for state and local governments to help pay salaries for police, healthcare workers and other first responders.

That has proven to be a major dividing line throughout months of negotiations. The pandemic has infected at least 7.6 million people in the United States and killed more than 212,000.