House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that she aims to have an agreement with the Trump administration to reshape the House Democratic coronavirus package by Friday.
“It’s fair to say we are close to an agreement, subject to the exchange of paper, and hope to have an agreement tomorrow,” Pelosi said late Thursday outside her office in the Capitol.
“We’ve resolved most of our differences,” Pelosi said, referring to legislation she is negotiating with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to mitigate the damage of the pandemic by providing economic protections for sick and quarantined workers and added healthcare funding — as well as free coronavirus testing.
The earliest that legislation could reach President Trump’s desk is likely Monday, as the Senate adjourned Thursday for the weekend. In the meantime, the stock markets suffered their worst day since 1987 as investors reckoned with the fallout from widespread quarantines and canceled business plans.
Pelosi said in a letter to her Democratic colleagues Thursday night that she sought to pass the legislation as soon as possible and then get to work on more legislation “that will take further effective action that protects the health, economic security, and well-being of the American people.”
Pelosi and Mnuchin spoke eight times on the phone on Thursday to negotiate a deal, according to Pelosi’s spokesman Drew Hammill. Pelosi said they were continuing to talk and that she was confident a bill would pass “one way or another.”
“What we’re trying to do is the positive thing and go forward in a way to work together so that we can have people tested, tested, tested. That’s what’s really important,” said Pelosi.
On Thursday, Pelosi told reporters the House is aiming to take up the coronavirus measure quickly, pass it, and then leave for recess. It would be up to the Republican-led Senate to take the House bill or reject it, she added.
Through Mnuchin, President Trump is making his demands for the coronavirus package while Republican leaders in the House and Senate are expected to follow his lead and pass whatever the administration agrees to.
“I think the discussions went on all day,” said Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal.
“I think there was some differing of opinion but that we felt that putting together something that the American people could see cooperation on between the two parties in this difficult moment would be a confidence-builder. And we approached it that way,” said Neal, who has been one of the key Democrats crafting the economic package.
The House Democratic measure currently includes provisions that would entitle workers affected by the coronavirus to paid sick leave and create a new “emergency paid leave” federal benefit for people forced into quarantine.
It also would expand food stamps and unemployment insurance for those affected by the coronavirus and the school and business closures it has caused, as well as aim to provide meals to children who normally get lunch at school.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said the House will convene at 9 a.m. on Friday to try and pass the package.
