In a nearly 90-minute phone conversation with Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Mnuchin reiterated his willingness to accept Democratic language with “minor” edits and said he would provide a proposal on Friday, Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Ms. Pelosi, said in a statement summarizing the conversation. “The speaker looks forward to reviewing.”But a number of unresolved differences remain, such as how much money to provide to state and local governments and lapsed federal unemployment benefits. Investors, who have been following the stimulus talks closely, seemed unmoved by statements from Mr. Trump and Mr. Mnuchin on Thursday, with stocks on Wall Street dropping for a third consecutive day. “I’m proposing what we think is appropriate,” Mr. McConnell said after voting in Louisville, Ky., when asked about the targeted bill he was preparing. While some Democrats have pushed for Ms. Pelosi to accept a smaller relief package, she has insisted that the toll of the pandemic merits another broad package.

Source: New York Times October 15, 2020 22:25 UTC