After weeks of efforts to reach agreement on a stimulus package ahead of Election Day, both lawmakers and administration officials have thrown in the towel, virtually guaranteeing that the American people will not see their stimulus check2 until mid-November at the earliest. [In a letter sent to House Democrats on Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) accused the White House of failing "miserably" by ending any hope of an agreement before November 3, NBC News reported. House Speaker Pelosi indicated that the stimulus would continue, but gave no specific timetable.

"From a 'hoax' to hundreds of thousands dead, the White House has failed miserably - not by accident, but by decision. Now we know why they resisted science at the cost of human lives, livelihoods, and democratic life." Again, it was a decision to do so."

President Trump also condemned the Democrats, but said they would soon reach an agreement.

"Once the election is over," he said, "we will have the best stimulus package I have ever seen.

Pelosi had previously set a deadline for both sides to put together a passable proposal by Election Day. That deadline has passed, but talks with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin continued this week as Pelosi expressed hope for an agreement.

The Trump administration had largely agreed to the size of the Democrats' revised $2.2 trillion HEROES Act, but remained at odds over certain provisions, including the amount of aid to state and local governments and whether the bill should include corporate liability protection for coronavirus-related litigation.

Of course, while the House Democrats and the White House were compromising, Senate Republicans had made little effort to this point on a second stimulus package.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) has been focused on confirming Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, a process that was finalized earlier this week. However, McConnell introduced a second symbolic $500 billion "skinny" bill, which was blocked by Democrats.

As two Washington Post opinion columnists argued, McConnell may have dragged his feet to keep his options open, depending on which party wins the White House and Senate next week. Such an approach may further hamper efforts to move the bill forward and give the public a chance for further relief.