Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel told fellow Republicans that he is "encouraging" the White House to wait until after the Nov. 3 election to reach an agreement on
an economic stimulus package for the pandemic
with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, as confirmed by three sources familiar with the conversation to our sister network NBC News.
[Negotiations for a financial aid package continue after the 48-hour deadline imposed by Pelosi has expired]
The Republican leader assured that the agreement with Pelosi was
inequitable
because it could divide the caucus in the face of the elections, three sources also confirmed to The Associated Press news agency.
McConnell would have made these statements during a private lunch with some of his fellow Republicans on Tuesday.
Democrats were quick to attack McConnell's leaked comments at lunch.
"Whatever the reason, it is very clear that what the Republican leader is offering this week is
a gimmick,
designed to look real but designed to fail," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Democrats set a 48-hour deadline for an agreement on economic aid for the pandemic
Oct. 18, 202000: 37
Although McConnell publicly said Tuesday that any economic stimulus bill that Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin agreed on would go to a vote before the Senate.
"Okay, yes.
If a bill approved by the presidency goes through the lower house, we will eventually present it to the plenary, that's right, "McConnell told reporters on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.
Although he suggested there are still too many steps to take and did not indicate a timetable.
The Republican leader
has been reluctant to support a comprehensive economic aid package
like the one proposed by the Democrats, which would cost the treasury some
2.2 billion dollars
and would include, among other things,
a check for 1,200 dollars for citizens
and aid of 600 dollars for the unemployed.
[A new relief package (including the expected second check for $ 1,200) is far from being finalized. We explain]
McConnell is currently pushing for the approval of
a "thin" package
of about
$ 500 billion,
less than a quarter of what Democrats are seeking, which the Senate will vote on Wednesday.
By contrast, Pelosi's office said conversations with Mnuchin on Tuesday were productive.
"The President and Secretary Mnuchin spoke Tuesday at 3:00 pm for approximately 45 minutes. Their conversation provided more clarity and common ground as they draw closer to a deal," Deputy Chief Drew Hammill tweeted Tuesday afternoon. of Pelosi personnel.
The announcement comes on the deadline Pelosi had set to reach an agreement on aid, which may or may not include a check for $ 1,200 for Americans, depending on the outcome of the negotiations.
It also includes money for schools, tests, and shots.
Though Pelosi pointed out that she and Mnuchin continued to disagree on refundable tax credits for working poor and families with children, the size of an aid package for state and local governments, and a liability shield for businesses and other organizations against lawsuits over their preparations against COVID-19.
[Negotiations for a second check for $ 1,200 have taken five months. Why is aid still an uncertainty?]
Talks between Pelosi and Mnuchin will continue on Wednesday,
as committee chairs in Congress are charged with resolving differences over the level of funding and the language of the potential bill, Hammill added.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump suggests he could persuade Senate Republicans to accept a costly aid package.
"
Not all Republicans agree. But they will be,"
the president said during an interview on Fox News.
Trump has been in favor of an aid package closer to that of the Democrats in terms of its total amount, namely
$ 1.8 trillion
, which would include a new round of direct stimulus of $ 1,200, an idea that the president has repeatedly supported.
"I want to make it
even bigger than that of the Democrats,
" he said in the interview.
South Dakota Republican Senator John Thune said Monday that "it would be difficult" to find just 13 members of his party who would agree to a possible agreement between Pelosi and Mnuchin, even with the president's support.
[What about the $ 1,200 check and why Pelosi accuses Trump of using it to her advantage]
Likewise, North Dakota Republican Senator Kevin Cramer told reporters that
he was not sure there would be enough Republican support for a larger stimulus package.
Meanwhile, McConnell has moved forward this week with voting on other Republican measures that have little chance of being approved by Democrats in the Lower House.
On Tuesday, the Senate voted on another round of payroll subsidies for small and medium-sized businesses like restaurants and hotels, which have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic.
By Gabriela Martínez, with information from AP and NBC News.