Between the lines: The two parties are miles apart ahead of the next stage of talks.

Mitch McConnell has sounded the alarm about the deficit after $3 trillion so far in virus spending.

In a conference call last week, McConnell urged Republican senators to push back against the White House’s impulse to spend trillions on infrastructure.

Democrats want significantly more money to help state and local governments.

And McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy put out a rare joint statement in which they said they won’t support another coronavirus bill unless it protects businesses from lawsuits should they choose to reopen during the pandemic.