Congress to press ahead on gov't funding even as COVID-19 aid stalls -McConnell

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday said he hoped to reach a bipartisan agreement this week to continue funding federal agencies even as Congress remain divided over the next round of possible COVID-19 aid.

McConnell said he hoped lawmakers could reach a deal on overall government funding by week's end and that the next few days could be decisive. The Republican-led Senate still wanted more financial relief amid the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic but that U.S. House Democrats' proposal remained too costly, he added.