“At this point, we still disagree on many priorities, and Democrats await administration language on several provisions as negotiations on the overall amount of funding continue,” Pelosi’s letter said.
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In a conference call Saturday morning with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, several Republican senators criticized the price of the Trump administration’s proposal, a source familiar with the matter said. .
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Mnuchin pitched the $ 1.8 trillion proposal in a 30-minute Friday afternoon phone conversation with Pelosi, according to the White House.
The White House’s new package was higher than the earlier $ 1.6 trillion Mnuchin offer and closer to the $ 2.2 trillion the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed last week.
White House spokeswoman Alyssa Farah said the administration wanted to continue spending less than $ 2 trillion, but was eager to enact a new round of direct payments to individuals as well as aid small businesses and airlines.
Friday marked the third consecutive day of talks between Pelosi and Mnuchin.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in Congress, said on Friday he doubted lawmakers would pass a package before November 3, although he was not directly involved in the talks.
“The proximity of the election and the differences of opinion on what is needed at this particular stage are quite wide,” McConnell said at a press conference.
There was no immediate comment on Saturday from the Treasury, the White House or McConnell’s office.
