House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday evening that she had reached a deal with the Trump administration to pass a coronavirus economic package, ending an intense weeklong series of negotiations. The House is expected to vote and pass the legislation later Friday night.
The earliest a bill could be signed into law is Monday, when the Senate returns.
“We are proud to have reached an agreement with the Administration to resolve outstanding challenges, and now will soon pass the Families First Coronavirus Response Act,” Pelosi wrote in a letter to Democratic colleagues.
“This legislation is about testing, testing, testing,” she wrote.
The legislation is meant to help people whose lives or jobs have been upended by the epidemic by providing benefits for idled workers, added food stamp funding, and boosted unemployment insurance. It also would increase coronavirus testing and give states funding for healthcare.
Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who led the administration’s efforts, spoke 13 times over the course of the day regarding the deal, most recently at 5:48 p.m. on Friday evening, according to Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill.
Earlier Friday, President Trump said there was no deal.
“We just don’t think they’re giving enough,” Trump said during a news conference at the White House on the pandemic.
Trump said his administration, led by Mnuchin, was still negotiating with the Democrats, led by Pelosi.
“We could have something, but we don’t think they’re giving enough. They’re not doing what’s right for the country,” Trump said when asked about the coronavirus economic package.
