President Donald Trump said that he is pulling out of negotiations over another round of coronavirus relief until after the presidential election on November 3. Democrats in the House and Republicans in the Senate have been deadlocked for months trying to reach a deal over another relief package for Americans.
Last week, House Democrats passed a $2.2 billion relief bill that included another round of direct payments to Americans. The bill had no chance to pass the Senate, which failed to get the 60 votes needed to move forward with a slimmed-down relief package back in September.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had been negotiating with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on a bipartisan bill, hoping to find a compromise. The last proposal that Mnuchin offered was a $1.62 billion package that included an additional $250 billion for state and local efforts, $150 billion more for the nation's schools, $75 billion more for testing and tracing efforts, $60 billion for rent and mortgage assistance, and $15 billion in food assistance.
Now, it appears unlikely that a deal will be reached before the election.
"I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when, immediately after I win, we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business," Trump wrote in a series of tweets.
Instead, Trump instructed the Senate to move forward with confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
"@senatemajldr Mitch McConnell not to delay, but to instead focus full time on approving my outstanding nominee to the United States Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett," Trump wrote.
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