House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who set a deadline to move forward with a comprehensive stimulus package before the election and then missed it, said she now still hopes an agreement with the White House can be reached by November 3

"I never give up hope I am optimistic," she said Sunday (Oct 25) on CNN's "State of the Union"

A week earlier, Pelosi had given the White House a 48-hour deadline to reach agreement on a second stimulus bill and allow lawmakers time to vote before the election No agreement was reached by the deadline, but talks between Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin continued throughout the week

Pelosi has now indicated that the bill could be passed by next week, but has also said that the Trump administration "keeps moving the goalposts" [The House has already passed a revised HEROES Act totaling $22 trillion, with the White House's latest proposal at about $19 trillion

However, disagreement remains over specifics, such as the amount of aid to be sent to state and local governments and whether the bill should include corporate liability protection for coronavirus-related lawsuits

Prime Minister Mnuchin has downplayed the possibility of a bailout package being passed by November 3 Late last week, he said that "significant differences" remain between the two sides

Monday's stock market reflected this public anxiety rather than Pelosi's optimism Rising coronavirus cases and indecision over additional stimulus funding sent stock prices tumbling, CNN Business reported

Meanwhile, Senate Republicans will likely concentrate on confirming Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett and then leave Washington in the final weeks of the campaign

Senate Republicans brought a second "skinny" bill to a vote last week that is $500 billion in size but does not include a second stimulus package, but was blocked by Democrats

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) and many Senate Republicans have resisted spending similar to what House Democrats and Trump administration officials have considered

It is not even certain whether McConnell will bring a Pelosi-Trump compromise to the Senate floor Publicly, he has said it needs to be considered Privately, however, McConnell has reportedly asked Republican senators to ask the White House to avoid reaching an agreement with Pelosi before Election Day