After months of partisan stand off on Capitol Hill over the size and composition of another round of coronavirus relief, key signs of progress emerged as the House and Senate moved closer to a possible deal.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., spoke by telephone Thursday afternoon — notable because the two top leaders hadn’t spoken about legislation addressing the pandemic since the election. Up until Thursday they had been blaming at each other in press conferences and floor speeches for the lack of action.
While the two sides are getting closer in terms of the possible size of a package, key policy differences over liability protections and whether to help state and local governments continue to be the chief hang ups. The time pressure is also working against members, as pulling together a measure costing hundreds of billions of dollars in a matter of days is colliding with efforts to finalize a massive government funding bill.
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