Coronavirus: Pelosi tries to push through stimulus bill Trump opposes

President slams speaker over her previous support for a payroll tax cut as partisanship returns to Washington

The House likely will leave Washington for an unknown amount of time without striking a deal with the White House and Senate on an economic stimulus plan to blunt the effects of the coronavirus.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday she will put a Democratic version of an emergency coronavirus bill on the floor later in the day, then could send her members back to their districts around the country.

She has been in early talks about a compromise stimulus package with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, but she described House Republicans as being unwilling to negotiate.

"Let's get this bill passed first," she said when asked about whether or not she would keep the House in town while the administration and Senate try to find a way to send a different version back to the lower chamber.

She said the bill on which the House will vote includes "free coronavirus testing ... so that everyone will be tested, and no one will say 'I can't afford it, so I can't." It also proposes "paid emergency leave with 14 paid sick days," she added, not listing a temporary payroll tax cut for hourly workers, as is being pushed hard by Donald Trump.

Asked at the White House if he supports the House Democrats' bill, Mr Trump said "No," explaining it contains "goodies they've been trying to get for the last 25 years." He predicted in the end, whenever that might be, the virus will be "going away" and Democrats ultimately will sign on to the payroll tax cut to help boost the stumbling economy.

The president during a Wednesday night address from the Oval Office had called for national unity and an end to bipartisanship on the matter. That didn't last long, however.

"Nancy Pelosi all of a sudden doesn't like the payroll tax cut, but when Obama proposed it she thought it was a brilliant thing that all of the working families would benefit from because if you get a paycheck, you're going to take home more money," he tweeted early Thursday morning, appearing to quote a Fox News host on its morning show "Fox & Friends."

The speaker appeared to leave open the possibility that a previously planned recess period next week could be extended if the coronavirus begins to spread as predicted.

Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday morning the Trump administration expects "thousands" more cases on top of the over 1,200 known cases now on the books.

White House officials and Senate Republican leaders have signalled they oppose the House Democrats' bill. Still, the speaker and Mr Mnuchin are continuing their talks, leaving open the slight chance of a breakthrough this week.

But, in her typical blunt fashion, Ms Pelosi made clear she is prepared to essentially dare Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to send his Republican caucus home to explain to constituents why he did not bring a stimulus package to the floor as their stock portfolios and retirement accounts shrink in value.

"We don't need 48 hours. We need to just make a decision to help families right now," she told reporters. "I'm not sticking around because they don't want to agree to language."