McConnell expects coronavirus stimulus in 2021, while Pelosi and Trump push for a deal sooner

The top policymakers in Washington sent mixed signals Friday about how quickly Congress could pass new coronavirus stimulus after the 2020 election.

Progress toward a relief deal ground to a halt in recent weeks as Republicans and Democrats differed over how much money they need to inject into efforts to slow record new infections in the U.S. and boost a sluggish economy. Despite the impasse, negotiators have acknowledged they will need to send aid in some form eventually.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who have not agreed on much related to the virus response in recent months, differed again Friday when asked about when stimulus could pass. The Kentucky Republican told radio host Hugh Hewitt that he expects to handle relief “right at the beginning of the year,” with legislation “targeted particularly at small businesses that are struggling and hospitals that are now dealing with a second wave of the coronavirus.”