President Trump on Tuesday announced he's rejecting congressional Democrats' latest coronavirus relief bill package, but went a step further than usual this time by apparently telling his negotiating team, led by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, to halt talks "until after the election."
Trump's issue with the Democrats' proposal was that it was, in his view, asking for funding to cover matters "in no way related to COVID-19."
Mnuchin was reportedly scheduled to meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for more talks Tuesday, but it sounds like that won't end up happening.
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If the White House follows through on the declaration, the efforts will be placed on hold until at least Nov. 3. After that, the president promised Congress a "major" relief bill. In the meantime, Trump said he wants the Republican-led Senate to focus on confirming his Supreme Court nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Tim O'Donnell
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