Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) yesterday cast doubt on whether negotiators would be able to break the impasse on a fifth coronavirus package, though he said that he thinks there needs to be another bill, The Hill reported. "We do need another bill and I'm hoping that this impasse will end soon.... [But] I can't tell you yet here today whether there's going to be additional relief for health care providers," McConnell said. "I'm hoping what we're talking about today is not that last tranche that we will make, but as of the moment, today, I can't tell you with certainty we're going to reach an agreement," he said, adding that the talks had been "further complicated" by the November elections. McConnell's remarks come after negotiations between the Trump administration and congressional Democrats derailed earlier this month amid deep policy and political differences. Republicans have lined up behind aid totaling roughly $1 trillion, while the House passed a more than $3 trillion package in May. As part of the talks, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) offered to drop their price tag by $1 trillion if Republicans agreed to add $1 trillion to their top line.
