Pelosi, Mnuchin in deal to avert shutdown

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin reached a deal to prevent a partial government shutdown, likely avoiding a bitter fight that would leave workers without pay a month before the Nov. 3 election.

The Democratic leader and Mnuchin, a top White House negotiator with Congress, agreed on a temporary spending bill, known as a continuing resolution, according to multiple news outlets.

“They agreed it should be clean, as they both want to keep the government open,” a source told Fox News.

The bill must pass the Democratic-controlled House and the Republican-led Senate before funds for agencies run out at the end of the day on Sept. 30.

The agreement comes despite continued gridlock on new coronavirus-relief legislation that would send another round of $1,200 stimulus checks to most Americans.

On Friday night, President Trump urged Congress to approve stimulus checks to Americans by redirecting $300 billion in unused coronavirus pandemic relief funds.

“We have $300 billion ready to go. All Congress has to do is say, ‘Use it.’ I’d like to use it without their permission, but I guess I’m not allowed,” Trump said.

The two sides agree that stimulus checks need to resume. But Republican leaders want to peg the unemployment supplement to 70 percent of prepandemic pay, while Democrats want to revive an expired $600-a-week boost that in some cases resulted in workers earning more than they did before COVID-19 left them jobless.