Kudlow: ‘Informal’ talks underway on next round of coronavirus stimulus

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Sunday that “informal” talks are underway on the next round of coronavirus relief but administration officials and lawmakers first want to see what effects the previous stimulus funding bills have.

Kudlow told ABC’s “This Week” the reports that no conversations between the White House and Democrats are occurring are “simply not true,” even though “formal negotiations” aren’t yet taking place.

“So it’s not that we’re not talking,” he said. “We are. It’s just informal at this stage.” 

NEW: “It’s not that we’re not talking. We are. It’s just informal at this stage,” Larry Kudlow tells @gstephanopoulos when pressed on new round of stimulus negotiations.

Kudlow adds many would like to “pause” to assess impact of first round of relief. https://t.co/BL24fPXivB pic.twitter.com/slOICTaMKY

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) May 10, 2020

Kudlow said he and fellow White House adviser Kevin Hassett held a conference call last week with 50 House Democrats and Republicans to discuss ideas for next steps and will do the same Monday with senators from both parties.

But the economic adviser told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that he thinks many want to see what the impact the previous stimulus packages has on the economy in “at least the next couple of weeks.”

{mosads}“I think many people would like to just pause for a moment and take a look at the economic impact of this massive assistance program which is the greatest in the United States history,” he said. 

Kudlow had hinted Friday that talks on the next stimulus package would wait until early June, saying they want to “have a look at what the latest round produces,” which would require “a month or so to valuate that.” 

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) and other Democrats have requested another funding bill that would provide most Americans $2,000 relief checks monthly, but Republicans are hesitant to continue doling out money without seeing the economic effects of the packages.

Some GOP lawmakers have also expressed concerns that providing money to state and local governments would help bail out governments that they claim were poorly financially run before the coronavirus.