Republican and Democrat lawmakers made progress on Saturday during their deliberation on the next stimulus to combat the negative impact of COVID-19.

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The next stimulus payment is expected to arrive this August. Today, many Americans, especially those who were laid off or furloughed from their jobs, await if they would receive the same weekly unemployment claim worth $600 to combat the economic impact of the virus.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer released a statement after a meeting with the country's highest officials House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.

Schumer said that they are not yet done finalizing the details of the next stimulus. However, the bright side was when he said that each party during the meeting knew where they are at. The group spent days discussing who and what would be prioritized in the next stimulus payment. 

On Friday, the deliberation became more intense when they discussed the $600 weekly unemployment benefit. On that day, the unemployment claim has also expired. However, until now, the Democrat and Republican lawmakers cannot yet offer a solution. 

Meanwhile, Mnuchin said that it was the most productive discussion they have ever had. He also added, "We went through a long list of policy issues on our side and on their side, as we've suggested in the past. There's a subset of issues where we both agree on very much."  

The Treasury Secretary shared that the four agreed that schools should be the top priority because there are schools that are expressing an intent to open this fall. This means that they will need the money and Personal Protective Equipment. 

They also support loans for small business owners to have their employees back to work. However, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows explained that even though there was progress during their meeting, he cautioned that the deal is not clear.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi remained firm on her desire to pass a broader bill that includes the weekly $600 unemployment claim. She still disagrees with the Republican-led proposal HEALS Act which he described as short-term. 

Moreover, Mnuchin clarified that "We've made clear that we're willing to deal with the short-term issues and pass something quickly and come back to the larger issues, so we're at an impasse on that." He also said there is also a clear desire that the four of them want to have a next round of the stimulus, according to a published article in USA Today.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows will continue their negotiation on Monday to make sure to have all the details of the next stimulus before August 7. 

Additionally, Meadows and Mnuchin had negotiated with Pelosi and Schumer on Thursday and offered the Democrats four separate deals throughout the day, but all were rejected. 

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