Lawmakers are returning to Capitol Hill next week and at the top of their to-do list is pandemic relief and avoiding a government shutdown.
The Associated Press reports that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi informally agreed to keep the budget deadline out of negotiations, while trying to find common ground on coronavirus aid.
“I believe there’s enormous agreement on the PPP. I think there’s an agreement on money for schools, there may be a difference as to what it is,” Mnuchin said. “There’s an agreement on enhanced unemployment, going forward, there may be a slight disagreement on what the amount is, in calculation. I think there’s been an agreement on direct payments. As I mentioned earlier, there was even an agreement on postal.”
Senate leaders did include $20 billion dollars in their stimulus bill, but a trimmed down package would likely cut out agriculture.