Both sides emerged from the meeting trading blame for the sputtering talks -- and the administration officials warned that President Donald Trump would take executive action if no deal is reached by Friday.

It's unclear if the two sides will meet on Friday.

"We had a consequential meeting that was one way we could see the difference in values that we bring to the table," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

Pelosi said that White House chief of staff Mark Meadows slammed his hand on the table, something that Meadows denied.

"I don't know what she's talking about," he said.

The differences remain as they have been: Democrats want to do "something big," in the words of Pelosi, and the Trump administration wants a "skinny bill," in the words of Meadows, on the issues they agree on. One of the biggest sticking points: aid to state and local governments.

"We are very far apart -- it's most unfortunate," Pelosi said.

"We are very disappointed in the meeting. ... They were unwilling to meet in the middle," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Meadows indicated they are "very far apart" from the Democrats on some major issues.

"I think there's a lot of issues we are close to a compromise position on, and I think there's a handful of very big issues that we are still very far apart," Mnuchin said.

Trump called the two officials three times during the meeting and urged them to continuing negotiating, Meadows said.

Mnuchin said that if "they could conclude tomorrow without a deal," Trump will take executive action.

Earlier in the day, Pelosi rejected the possibility of a short-term extension of federal jobless benefits during her news conference, taking a hard line in demanding that Congress approve a large-scale stimulus package that the White House has so far rejected.

"We're not having a short-term extension," Pelosi said when asked if Democrats are ruling out an interim extension of the lapsed federal unemployment enhancement if talks collapse, a signal that restoring the benefit will be contingent on the White House and Democrats cutting a broader deal, which so far remains elusive with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows saying recently that the two sides are "trillions of dollars apart."

As he entered Pelosi's office Thursday evening, Meadows said, "If we don't reach a top-line number, there becomes very little incentive to have further conversations. At this point, they are still at $3.4 trillion and going north and so at some point, compromise has to have a dollar sign in front of it."

Meadows wouldn't say what the White House's top-line number is currently, but said, "We are north of where our initial offer was," which was $1 trillion.

He added that he has a "glimmer of hope" a deal can still be reached.

Earlier on Thursday, Pelosi indicated no willingness to back off the demand for restoring enhanced unemployment benefits to the level of $600 a week. "We have said that

Wakanda News Details

Grave concern as R440 000 in UIF Ters paid to the dead

You may also like

Sports Facts

Arts Facts

Popular Topics

Dr. Cornel West - Race Matters