Covid-19 aid talks with White House at impasse: Pelosi

The package increased the amount of money, it was willing to give to state and local governments from USD 250 billion to USD 300 billion and increased the amount of the direct payment per child from USD 500 to USD 1,000. But the package was rejected by both Senate Republicans, there were significant concerns raised with the price tag.

Washington: US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said that negotiations with the White House over a new Covid-19 relief package aimed at assisting American businesses and workers affected by the pandemic, has remained at an impasse.

"This past week, the President demonstrated very clearly that he has not taken the war against the virus seriously, personally or nationally. This attitude is reflected in the grossly inadequate response we finally received from the administration on Saturday," Xinhua news agency quoted Pelosi as saying in a letter to her Democratic colleagues sent out on Sunday.

"In terms of addressing testing, tracing and treatment, what the Trump administration has offered is wholly insufficient.

"We remain at an impasse" until these serious issues are resolved, she added.

"However, I remain hopeful that the White House will join us to work toward a relief package that addresses the health and economic crisis facing America's families and will do so soon."

Reacting to Pelosi's letter, President Donald Trump told Fox News on Sunday that he held the Speaker responsible for a lack of progress on the relief package.

"Republicans want to do it. We're having a hard time with Nancy Pelosi. She thinks she can influence the election.

"And I think they're hurting themselves by not doing it. But the Republicans want to do it. We want to do stimulus," said the President.

In a letter to Congress also sent Sunday, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin asked lawmakers to first pass legislation allowing the administration to redirect about USD 130 billion in unused funding from the Paycheck Protection Program intended for small businesses while negotiations continue on a broader relief package, according to The Washington Post.

But the administration's latest request is unlikely to advance in the Democrats-controlled House, where Pelosi has rejected stand-alone legislation in favour of a comprehensive package to address the economic and health consequences of the pandemic, the report said.

It is not clear whether congressional lawmaker and the Trump administration could bridge their differences and reach an agreement on the relief package before the presidential election on November 3.

Sunday's developments came after the Trump administration on October 9 made a new USD 1.8 trillion coronavirus relief package offer.

The USD 1.8 trillion figure is up from a USD 1.6 trillion offer from earlier this week, although it remains below the USD 2.2 trillion in the bill passed by the House Democrats last week, CNN said in a report.

Besides, the package also increased the amount of money it was willing to give to state and local governments from USD 250 billion to USD 300 billion and increased the amount of the direct payment per child from USD 500 to USD 1,000.

But the package was rejected by both Senate Republicans, there were "significant concerns raised with the price tag".

In July, Republicans initially offered a USD 1.1 trillion packages, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell warned that up to 20 Senators could vote against it.

Fifty-two Republican senators later backed a scaled-down USD 500 billion bills.

Negotiations between the White House and Capitol Hill on the fifth round of stimulus have dragged on since the end of July without an agreement, the Hill news website reported.

As talks stalled in August, Trump acted unilaterally, signing executive orders meant to extend a federal moratorium on evictions and offer a payroll tax referral.

(With inputs from IANS)