Senators holding behind-the-scenes talks on breaking coronavirus package stalemate
By Jordain Carney - 08/04/20 01:50 PM EDT
Several GOP senators said on Tuesday that they are holding behind-the-scenes talks with rank-and-file Democrats about how to break the stalemate on a fifth coronavirus relief package.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows have been negotiating a bill for roughly a week with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) with little progress toward an agreement.
"I've been talking to members on the other side of the aisle about what we might do as individual members to help facilitate a little more progress," Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told reporters as she headed into the GOP lunch.
Murkowski said she felt "discouragement" at Congress being three days from the start of a recess without more answers about how a deal comes together.
Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) separately told reporters that he was "working behind the scenes, including now with some Democrats, on trying to get something done on UI [unemployment insurance], whether it's a return to work bonus or something else."
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https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/510489-gop-senators-talking-with-dems-about-how-to-break-coronavirus-stalemate
