⁍ U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin failed in a phone discussion to bridge differences.

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⁍ Pelosi has proposed a $2.2 trillion package to respond to a pandemic that has killed more than 207,000 Americans.

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⁍ In the absence of a deal with the White House, the Democratic-majority House of Representatives began debating the partisan relief bill.

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– House Democrats have proposed a $2.2 trillion package to respond to the coronavirus, a pandemic that has killed more than 207,000 Americans and thrown millions out of work. Congressional Democrats led by Nancy Pelosi have proposed a $2.2 trillion package to respond to the pandemic that has killed more than 207,000 Americans and thrown millions out of work. In the absence of a deal with the White House, the Democratic-majority House of Representatives began debating the partisan relief bill and planned to vote on it later Thursday evening, reports Reuters. Republican President Donald Trump’s negotiating team has suggested a $1.6 trillion response, and the White House on Thursday dismissed Democrats’ offer as not serious. As lawmakers prepared to leave Washington for the remaining weeks of the 2020 presidential and congressional campaign, Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin differed over aid to state and local governments, Democratic demands for a child tax credit and stronger worker safety protections, healthcare provisions, and aid for small businesses. “The two discussed further clarifications on amounts and language, but distance on key areas remain,” Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff tweeted. Their conversation will continue this afternoon,” he added. The House was due to vote around 7pm EDT Thursday on the Democratic package, after a day’s delay to give more time for a deal with the White House to come together. Pressure for a deal has been mounting on the White House and Congress to strengthen the economy from the devastating effects of a coronavirus pandemic that has infected more than 7.2 million people in the US.