Schumer calls latest round of coronavirus relief talks most productive yet, but sides still 'not close'
Congress ended the week in a deadlock after days of negotiating the next iteration of the CARES coronavirus relief bill, allowing the $600/week unemployment boost to expire without a replacement plan in place. As a result, nearly 30 million U.S. workers will now have a lapse in their unemployment benefits. But talks continued on Saturday, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) sitting down for several hours with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
There's still nothing imminent, but the four negotiators did suggest there was a little more movement Saturday, with Schumer calling it the most productive meeting yet. "Now each side knows where they're at," he said.
After 3 hours, Mnuchin/Meadows/Pelosi/ Schumer meeting wraps..
Schumer tells reporters it was the most productive meeting so far, but “we’re not close yet”
They will meet again Monday pic.twitter.com/EJIc9bVUEA
— Ali Zaslav (@alizaslav) August 1, 2020
Work will continue Sunday with staff only meetings, and Pelosi, Schumer, Mnuchin, and Meadows will meet again on Monday.
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