Pelosi Says She Anticipates There Will Be Another Coronavirus Relief Package

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday she anticipates Congress will pass another economic relief package addressing the effects of the coronavirus crisis.

It's been more than 45 days since the Democratic-controlled House passed the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act. But the legislation stalled in the Senate, where Republicans deemed it "dead on arrival." The White House signaled that the bill would be vetoed if it made it to President Donald Trump's desk.

Asked during her weekly press conference if Congress would have time to negotiate another economic relief package before the August recess, the top Democrat said, "Of course."

Speaking about the Republicans, she said, "They know, they've made their overtures. They've also said publicly that 'this or that' should be in the next bill. So we anticipate we will have a bill."

She added that everything in the HEROES Act is something the upper chamber has voted on before. "This is nothing new to them. Some of it bigger, some of it fresher, but all of it something they've voted on before."

Earlier this week, Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to immediately start negotiations on the next economic relief bill. Their request came as dozens of states across the country have seen a rise in coronavirus cases, which has forced some local leaders to halt plans to reopen their economies.

"The nation has seen a dramatic surge in both cases and deaths caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Adding to that pain, our economy is facing one of its greatest challenges since the Great Depression. Over one-fifth of the workforce has requested unemployment assistance," the two Democrats wrote in a letter to McConnell. "Now is the time for action, not continued delays and political posturing."

The $3 trillion package passed by the House includes a second round of so-called stimulus checks, an extension of expanded unemployment benefits, hazard pay for essential workers and nearly $1 trillion in aid for state and local governments.

Trump recently indicated that he would be in favor of sending out another round of stimulus checks. He told Fox News on Wednesday that he not only supports it but wants "larger numbers than the Democrats." But he would rather see a "return-to-work" bonus instead of expanded unemployment insurance.

Administration officials have said they will base the next phase of a coronavirus response measure on economic data that will be released over the next few weeks. The past two jobs reports have been more positive, with 2.5 million jobs added in May and 4.8 million added in June. But the unemployment rate remains high at 11.1 percent.

According to The Washington Post, McConnell said in late June that lawmakers "will sit down in July and figure out what seems to fit the way forward, based on the conditions a few weeks from now."

He added, "One thing I can tell you will certainly be in the bill—it's not negotiable— liability protection for hospitals, doctors, nurses, businesses, universities, K-12 related to the coronavirus."