Pelosi reveals that she and Mnuchin were miles apart in stimulus talks

WASHINGTON» House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., revealed in a letter on Thursday that she and Treasury Secretary Steven M nu chin had not reached a consensus on multiple issues in their stimulus negotiations, showing the White House and Democrats had remained far apart despite Pelosi’s repeated expressions of optimismabout getting a deal.

In the letter toMnuchin, released just days before the Nov. 3 election, Pelosi listeda litany of outstanding issues including state and local aid, school funding, child care money, tax credits for working families, unemployment insurance aid, and liability protections for businesses sought by the administration but opposed by Democrats.

She also said that shewas still awaiting a final answer from the administration on agreeing to the Democrats’ language on a national coronavirus testing strategy -somethingMnuchin had said on Oct. 15 that he was prepared to accept subject to minor edits. She put the onus on President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader MitchMcConnell, R-Ky., for a deal to emerge inCongress’ “lame duck” session after the election -- if at all.

“Your responses are critical for our negotiations to continue,” Pelosi wrote in the letter, whichwas first reported by Politico Play book .“The President’ s words that‘ after the election, we will get the best stimulus package you have ever seen’ only have meaning if he can get MitchMcConnell to take his hand off the pause button and get SenateRepublican Chairmenmoving toward agreementwith their House counterparts.”