WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. congressional Republicans and Democrats,
struggling to reach a deal to provide more aid to those hurt by the
coronavirus pandemic, slid on Wednesday toward letting a $600-per-week
unemployment benefit lapse when it expires this week.
High-ranking
Trump administration officials met privately with lawmakers from both
parties to see if they can bridge vast differences over the enhanced
unemployment benefit and a host of other issues including a moratorium
on evictions that expired last Friday.
Despite
the day of meetings, there was little apparent progress on legislation
to ease the impact of a pandemic that has killed 150,000 Americans and
thrown tens of millions out of work.
“Our
Republican friends don’t seem to come close to meeting the moment,”
Senator Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s Democratic leader, told reporters
after he and House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark
Meadows.
Senator John
Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican, said lawmakers might have a better
idea by the end of this week on whether there is a chance for a deal so
“that we could actually get to a package by the end of next week.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Republican President Donald Trump said he was in no hurry to act despite the tight deadlines.
“We’re
so far apart, we don’t care. We really don’t care,” Trump told
reporters as he departed the White House for a trip to Texas, blaming
Democrats.
While
some Republicans talked about the need for a stopgap extension of the
enhanced unemployment benefit, Pelosi said she opposed doing that or
leaving behind other initiatives important to Democrats.