After weeks of stalemate between Democrats and Trump administration officials trying to put together the next stimulus package, further negotiations to implement Stimulus Check 2 may be at hand.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who has been representing the White House in the negotiations along with Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, said Tuesday (September 1) that he is prepared to meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (R-Calif.) and that he is willing to meet with the Democrats' current $2.2 trillion proposal as soon as possible. He suggested that he intends to move closer to the Democrats' current $2.2 trillion proposal.

According to the Wall Street Journal, at a hearing of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, Mnuchin suggested increasing spending in the stimulus bill to $1.5 trillion.

He also acknowledged that all currently agree on the need for federal unemployment benefits and an additional stimulus check2. He and President Pelosi spoke by phone after the hearing.

The White House "made a deal to get the deal done... . concessions," Mnuchin said.

"Whether it's a trillion or a trillion and a half, let's not get hung up on the numbers. [But Pelosi was not so hopeful after the phone call, according to CNN.

"Sadly, the call revealed that Democrats and the White House continue to have serious differences in understanding the seriousness of the situation facing America's working families," she said.

The last contact between the Democrats and the White House was last week, when Pelosi and Meadows spoke by phone. No progress has been made since then.

Both the House and Senate have put together formal proposals for additional stimulus measures.

The House passed the $3 trillion HEROES Act in May. It would send $1,200 checks and expanded dependent care benefits to individuals and families who qualify for assistance under the CARES Act passed in March.

The Republican leadership in the Senate has proposed its own $1 trillion stimulus package called the HEALS Act.

However, the Senate has not voted on the package, and it is not certain whether it will pass, as some budget-minded Republican senators reportedly believe it is too expensive. Normally, 60 out of 100 votes are needed to pass the Senate.

In the latest round of talks in mid-August, Pelosi indicated that she would be willing to cut the package to $2.2 trillion, but the White House said $1.2 trillion was the top line. Earlier this week, the White House raised this to $1.3 trillion. In other words, Mnuchin's $1.5 trillion figure may be an important breakthrough.

Meanwhile, groups in both houses have proposed "skinny" bills that would provide fewer benefits for less money. Neither proposal, paradoxically, provides the stimulus package2 that both sides agree is a priority.

Pelosi and her Senate compatriot, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), are seeking a comprehensive bill similar to the HEROES Act. Neither supports the House skinny bill.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who had been adamant about the HEALS bill, appeared to suddenly support the Senate skinny bill in a conference call with Mnuchin, Meadows, and other Senate Republicans on Tuesday.

Both skinny bills seem almost symbolic, perhaps more to win votes in the November general election than to provide meaningful relief to Americans.