The workweek came and went without a deal in Congress for pandemic relief, and that's despite a two-hour meeting Friday with Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Treasury's Steven Mnuchin, and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. Afterward, the latter two said they would recommend that Trump issue executive orders, and the president pledged to do just that in a Friday evening press conference, reports USA Today. Details are scarce—including on where the money would come from—but Trump said he planned to tackle four main issues, per the Hill:
- Pay enhanced unemployment benefits through the end of the year
- Defer student loan payments and forgive interest for the near future
- Reinstate a federal moratorium on evictions
- Defer the payroll tax until year's end
Trump said he could issue the orders by the end of this coming week—"they're being drawn by the lawyers right now"—though he left the door open for negotiations to resume, reports Politico. As of now, no further meetings have been scheduled amid the impasse, notes the Washington Post. (More President Trump stories.)