An impasse over the next round of coronavirus aid looks likely to drag on after Democrats and Republicans described themselves as hopelessly far apart on a deal to combat raging economic and health-care crises.

An agreement on legislation, let alone passage of a bill, looks weeks away. The Senate wrapped up its session Thursday afternoon and will not return this month unless negotiators strike an agreement. The House had already left Washington for all of August pending a deal on pandemic relief.

Leaders in Washington followed a familiar script Thursday. They indicated the sides have made no progress toward an agreement.

They do not know when meaningful negotiations will restart. They called the opposing party unreasonable as millions of Americans wonder whether they can afford food or housing in the coming days and weeks.

Negotiators’ path to resolving vast differences of opinion over the best tools to stabilize a country …continued .
[Source: CNBC News]