Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told House lawmakers he is prepared to hash out a new coronavirus relief package with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., "at any time," The Hill reports.
During a special House subcommittee hearing, he said he and President Donald Trump support providing emergency aid for workers, schools, small businesses, and virus testing.
"Let me say, I very much agree with you and those other experts that more fiscal response is needed," Mnuchin told the House panel, which is investigating the federal response to the pandemic. "The president and I want to move forward with more fiscal response.
"I'm prepared to sit down with the speaker at any time to negotiate."
Lawmakers have been deadlocked on terms of the next coronavirus relief package. Talks between Pelosi and White House officials ended in a stalemate last month.
The sides began discussing terms again over the past several days.
According to The Hill, Pelosi's offer to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows was a relief package totaling $2.2 trillion, which was less than an earlier proposal of $2.4 trillion. Meadows said Trump would come up from supporting a $1.1 trillion package and back one that would cost $1.3 trillion.
"I do not support $2.2 trillion," Mnuchin told the panel.
He said he believes “a bipartisan agreement still should be reached."
He added a package "would provide substantial funds for schools, testing, vaccines, PPP for small businesses, continued enhanced unemployment benefits, child care, nutrition, agriculture, and the U.S. Postal Service, along with liability protection for universities, schools, and businesses."
He said Trump acted in order to help unemployed Americans who lost a boosted $600 weekly benefit when the CARES Act expired. He said "the expiration of enhanced unemployment insurance is something that we are concerned about."
He also noted the White House would agree to providing extra funding for state and local governments.
"Nobody thinks the right outcome is zero," Mnuchin said about allocating money for cash-strapped states and local governments.
According to The Hill, Senate Republicans are scheduled to propose a relief bill totaling about $500 billion, but Democrats are expected to block it.
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