State aid emerges as major hurdle to reviving COVID-19 talks

Federal money for state and local governments is a key sticking point to reviving negotiations over the next coronavirus relief package.

The White House and congressional Democrats are deeply divided over whether states should get more money — and if so, how much.

Before talks collapsed late last week, the two sides were hundreds of billions apart on how much they were willing to put on the table. Democrats want $915 billion, while Republicans are offering $150 billion, the same amount included in the CARES Act from late March. Continue reading.