Congress

Coronavirus relief negotiations have entered a "new phase," as Trump administration officials and Democratic leaders look to cut a deal on another round of emergency aid in the next 48 hours, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said Wednesday.

The clock is running out for Democratic leaders and White House officials to strike a coronavirus relief deal after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi set a Tuesday deadline to deliver aid to Americans ahead of the November election.

"The Speaker has tasked committee chairs to reconcile differences with their GOP counterparts on key areas," deputy chief of staff Drew Hamill said Monday. "The Speaker continues to hope that, by the end of the day Tuesday, we will have clarity on whether we will be able to pass a bill before the election."

Sen. Perdue said he "meant no disrespect" with his pronunciation of Harris' name.

The chance of Congress passing a coronavirus relief deal before the November elections remains elusive as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin continue to spar over how much money to inject into the pandemic-ravaged economy.

President Trump hinted he might intervene if Republican senators don't support a second coronavirus stimulus package worth trillions of dollars, during an interview with Charles Benson of WTMJ4 Milwaukee on Saturday. 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi set a 48-hour deadline for the White House to reach an agreement on a new round of coronavirus stimulus before the upcoming presidential election, saying Sunday that she is still "hopeful" despite no agreement yet in the package's language.

Democrats cautioned Wednesday that the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett could spark a new chapter of conservative judicial activism.