House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke Thursday for the first time since at least the 2020 election as Congress scrambles to strike a coronavirus stimulus deal and prevent a government shutdown.
The congressional leaders discussed their “shared commitment to completing an omnibus [spending bill] and COVID relief as soon as possible,” Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said in a tweet. They have signaled they want to resolve both thorny issues by Dec. 11, the last day of government funding.
“Yeah, well we had a good conversation,” McConnell told reporters of the discussion. “I think we’re both interested in getting an outcome, both on the omnibus and on a coronavirus package.”
The phone call comes amid the strongest push in months to break a logjam over how to boost an economy and health-care system weighed down by the pandemic. Pelosi engaged in a frantic series of aid talks with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin before the Nov. 3 election, but the discussions did not yield an agreement.
Earlier Thursday, McConnell said he has seen “hopeful signs” for striking a stimulus deal before the end of the year. Among other implications if Congress fails to act, about 12 million people could lose unemployment benefits after Christmas.
Congress has run short on time to send more help. Leaders have suggested they could attach relief measures to a government funding bill.
Some Republican senators have embraced little or no new stimulus spending, arguing that the economy has improved enough to sustain Americans until a large share of the population receives vaccines.
Reference: CNBC
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