$timulus ultimatum

Pelosi gives WH 48 hours

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday gave the Trump administration 48 hours to agree to a deal on a new coronavirus stimulus plan — saying otherwise there will be no pact before the November election.

“The 48 [hours] only relates to if we want to get it done before the election — which we do,” Pelosi said on ABC News’ “This Week.”

“But we’re saying to [the White House], we have to freeze the design on some of these things. Are we going with it or not? And what is the language?” she said.

Pressed on the chances of success that such an agreement could be reached, the California Democrat told TV anchor George Stephanopoulos, “Depends on the administration.”

“We don’t have agreement in the language yet, but I’m hopeful,” Pelosi said. “I’m optimistic because, again, we’ve been back and forth on all of this.”

She and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have been in talks for months in an effort to hammer out a stimulus deal. The pair spoke for more than an hour Saturday and are expected to return to the negotiating table Monday.

Stephanopoulos noted that the speaker and President Trump haven’t spoken in a year — and asked Pelosi if she was willing to pick up the phone to talk to the commander in chief.

“I have a great deal of respect for the office I hold, speaker of the House, and I have a great deal of respect for the position that he holds, president of the United States,” Pelosi responded. “This is not a casual conversation.”

In May, the Democratic-controlled House approved a $3 trillion package that went nowhere in the Senate. The White House offered a compromise $1.8 billion plan.

Pelosi said the deal’s price tag is just a part of what needs to be hashed out. The administration’s handling of the coronavirus is crucial to everything, she said.

“The testing. The tracing. The treatment. The mask-wearing. The separation. The sanitation. And all that goes with it,” Pelosi said, adding that she wants more information about a national strategy to combat the pandemic.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Saturday that he plans to have the Senate vote on a $500 billion “skinny” stimulus package Wednesday.

But we’re saying, we have to freeze the design on some of these things. Are we going with it or not? And what is the language? — Speaker Nancy Pelosi