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Pelosi says a deal on another coronavirus stimulus package is 'close'

"I do believe that both sides want to reach an agreement," the House Speaker said. "I can't answer for the disarray on the Senate side."

Published: October 22, 2020 11:58am

Updated: October 22, 2020 3:19pm

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that a deal on another coronavirus stimulus package between the White House and congressional leaders is "close" but it might not move through the legislative process and reach the president's desk until after the election.

"It's close. The question is where will the president be at any given moment? He's been all over the map," Pelosi said during a press conference. "But I think we have gotten him to a good place especially on crushing the virus. This is major, major, advance." 

Pelosi was asked if there's an agreement on the state and local federal funding portion of a package.

"No," she said. "The president wants a bill, and that's part of the opportunity that we have."

The California Democrat said she would like to see the stimulus package passed "before the election" but noted that she has no influence over the Senate's voting schedule.

"That's a conversation between the president and the [Senate] majority leader," she said. "We want the best bill in range."

Treasury Secretary Mnuchin has indicated that the White House would agree to a stimulus package of $1.8 trillion, but Pelosi has called for an agreement that would spend at least $2 trillion. The updated version of the House Democrats' HEROES Act that passed recently was $2.2 trillion. 

"I do believe that both sides want to reach an agreement," Pelosi said. "I can't answer for the disarray on the Senate side. We're not going to make the world straight in this bill, but we are going to crush the virus."

Pelosi declined to take questions on the latest developments regarding Hunter Biden's emails about business deals overseas while his father, Joe Biden, was vice president.

"I'm not answering your questions, OK?" she said.

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