Democrats and Republicans continue to negotiate the details of a nearly $1 trillion COVID-19 relief package ahead of a midnight deadline on Friday.
If a deal is not reached, Congress will need to rush through another stopgap spending bill to keep the government funded through at least the weekend while talks continue.
The U.S. Congress looked increasingly unlikely on Friday to meet a deadline to agree on $900 billion in fresh COVID-19 aid and instead may pass a third stopgap spending bill to keep the government from shutting down at midnight.
After months of partisan finger-pointing and inaction, Republicans and Democrats have been negotiating intensely this week on what is expected to be the biggest package since spring to provide relief to a country struggling with a pandemic that has killed nearly 309,000 Americans.
They have reported progress, but enough differences remained by late on Thursday that talks looked likely to stretch into the weekend. That would force Congress to pass a stopgap spending bill – known as a continuing resolution, or CR – to keep the government operating for a few days after current funding expires at midnight while talks continue.
Congressional leaders plan to pass the COVID-19 aid as part of sweeping legislation to fund the government through September 2021.
The top congressional Democrats – House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer – had a series of telephone conversations with Republican President Donald Trump’s Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, until late on Thursday evening, Pelosi’s spokesman Drew Hammill wrote on Twitter.
“All three emphasized the urgency to reaching an immediate agreement and will exchange additional paper and resume conversations in the morning,” Hammill said.
Multiple lawmakers have floated the possibility the federal government would run out of money early Saturday morning if Congress cannot pass a CR in time.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the chamber would remain in session through the weekend if necessary.
