Pelosi, Mnuchin talk but make no progress with ending stalemate

Chamber member Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiKamala Harris Makes History – As A Westerner On The Money: McConnell Says It’s Time To Start Coronavirus Talks | New report finds majority of Americans support merger moratorium | Corporate bankruptcies on pace for 10-year-old high McConnell: Time to start coronavirus talks MORE (D-Calif.) And Secretary of Treasury Steven MnuchinSteven Terner MnuchinOn The Money: McConnell says it’s time to start coronavirus talks again | New report finds majority of Americans support merger moratorium | Corporate Bankruptcies in Time for 10-Year-Old McConnell: Time to Renew Coronavirus Talks Employers of Color Demonstrate Democratic Leadership to Protect Inferior Communities in Coronavirus MORE Talks spoke Wednesday by phone, but did not appear to be making any progress after breaking the impasse on a fifth coronavirus relief package.

The call – initiated by Mnuchin, according to a source familiar with the conversation – is the first time they have spoken since talks crashed last Friday.

But instead of proving Wednesday’s move to a detente, both sides endorsed how hidden the negotiations are and owed each other the stable mate.

Pelosi and Leader for Minorities for Senates Charles SchumerChuck SchumerLawmakers urge Trump to restore full funding for National Guard responding to pandemic Bipartisan senators ask congressional leadership to extend census completion Legislators of color wear Democratic leadership to protect underrated communities in talks with coronavirus MORE (DN.Y.) issued a joint statement saying Mnuchin had made an “overture” to comply, but also made it clear that the White House did not go over both the price tag of the legislation and what it should include. to be.

“We have made it clear to the administration once again that we are ready to resume negotiations if they begin this process seriously. The lives and existence of the American people, as well as the lives of our democracy, are on the verge,” Pelosi and Schumer added. .

Mnuchin quickly denied that the description offered by the Democratic leaders was “not an accurate reflection” of his conversation with Pelosi.

“She made it clear that she was not ready to go ahead with negotiations unless we agreed in advance with her proposal, and it would cost at least $ 2 trillion. … The Democrats have no interest in negotiating,” he said. he added.

The duel’s statements come almost a week after talks between Mnuchin, White House chief of staff Mark MeadowsMark Randall MeadowsOn The Money: McConnell says it’s time to start coronavirus talks again | New report finds majority of Americans support merger moratorium | Corporate Bankruptcies in Time for 10-Year-Old McConnell: Time to Renew Coronavirus Talks Employers of Color Demonstrate Democratic Leadership to Protect Inferior Communities in Coronavirus MORE Talks and Democrats of Congress borrowed amid notable policies and political differences.

Democrats offered to reduce their $ 3.4 trillion price tag by $ 1 trillion if GOP negotiators agreed to increase their roughly $ 1 trillion package by the same amount, but the offer was rejected.

The two sides are also far apart on issues such as unemployment insurance, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellMcConnell warns First Chamber of Deputies ‘could go both ways’ in November On The Money: McConnell says it’s time to start coronavirus talks again | New report finds majority of Americans support merger moratorium | Corporate bankruptcies on pace for 10-year-old high McConnell: Time to start coronavirus talks MORE‘s (R-Ky.) red line of accountability protection, and more money for state and local governments – a top priority for Democrats.

Democrats are asking for $ 915 billion in new funding for state and local governments, which have been hit hard as their tax base dries up. Republicans have offered $ 150 billion in new funding.

“As part of our compromised proposal to the Democrats, we said, OK, we will create flexibility. You can not use that money to reimburse pensions, but we will let you use the historic money for lost income, and we will again. “And that’s an awful lot of money. That’s $ 300 billion in state and local money,” Mnuchin told Fox Business on Wednesday.

It is unclear what, if anything, could break the theft.

Most lawmakers have left Washington, DC, and are not expected to return until September, following the August recession, in the absence of an agreement.

The next report on jobs will also not be released early next month, and the country’s national attention is set to shift about two weeks after the Democratic and Republican conventions that begin nearly Monday.

Mnuchin said the administration would be willing to resume negotiations if Democrats were “reasonable,” but he stopped short of predicting whether both sides could strike a deal.

“I can not speculate. If the Democrats are ready to be reasonable, there is a compromise. If the Democrats are focused on politics and do not want to do something that will succeed for the president, there will be no deal,” he said. sei.

Pelosi, in an interview with MSNBC, added that Democrats are ready to resume talks if the administration will meet them “in the middle”.

“Until they are ready to do that, it is no use sitting in a room and telling them that states should go bankrupt,” she said. “The fiscal health of our states is essential to the strength of our economy.”