Democrats and the Trump administration have yet to resume negotiations on Stimulus Check 2 since negotiations stalled two weeks ago, but some members of the House of Representatives are urging Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-NY) to move toward an agreement

Bloomberg reports that a group of 17 House members known as the moderate Blue Dog Coalition has urged Pelosi and other House and Senate party leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), to signed a letter pressuring them to work toward an agreement

"As the House prepares to vote later this week on legislation to protect the United States Postal Service, we urge you to resume bipartisan bicameral negotiations on a fifth Covid 19 bailout that is commensurate with the scale of this public health and economic crisis," the lawmakers wrote

The letter urges Pelosi and leaders of both houses to continue paying federal unemployment benefits (one of the sticking points in previous negotiations) at "adequate" levels and to make one more direct payment to eligible American citizens

House lawmakers passed the HEROES Act in May The bill would provide $1,200 each (up to $6,000 per family) to eligible Americans and their dependents (regardless of age), but Democrats have not been able to come to terms with the White House or the Senate on the total cost of this proposal

Senate Republicans are equally or more divided; in July, McConnell introduced the HEALS Act This bill would reauthorize $1,200 in direct benefits for Americans who qualify under the CARES Act, as well as extend benefits to dependents

Meanwhile, another group of Republican Senators proposed a hybrid bill known as the Coronavirus Assistance for American Families Act

Senate Republicans have also proposed a "skinny" stimulus package that would continue federal unemployment benefits at a reduced rate but without another direct benefit

Other senators have expressed concern that spending on the second stimulus package is too high, and the Senate proposal remains at odds with other negotiators' proposals

"We're pretty far apart right now," McConnell said Thursday 'We're hopeful that we can get past that, but as of today, I'm not going to make any predictions'

Meanwhile, 120 House Democrats urged Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (R-Maryland) to consider passing the Democratic "skinny bill" promoted by another moderate group, the New Democratic Coalition

That bill, too, would provide no new stimulus but would resume federal unemployment subsidies at their original $600 per week