Pelosi Says She Supports COVID-19 Stimulus Before Election

When asked about the potential for a COVID-19 stimulus deal before the election, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says to MSNBC. "That would be my hope. We could do it in the House. You hear what the leader of the Senate is saying but that's really up to the president … we've made progress in this regard but we're still not there. But we can be. I'm still optimistic because I think both sides want to come to agreement. Otherwise why would we even be talking to each other? I mean this is not, shall we say, an enjoyable conversation. But in any event it's necessary to have."

• Comes after Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) said he could support a bill around or even in excess of USD1.8trn, even thought it is more than he would like, saying, "We run the risk of structural damage to our economy if we do nothing ... We do need to do more"
• Support from Senate Republicans will be crucial in getting any deal over the line. White House seems relatively keen on a larger stimulus package.