The biggest hurdle is Senate Republicans, who have been left out of negotiations and who seem uninterested in comprehensive stimulus. One explanation is that McConnell is laser-focused on SCOTUS, but it’s unclear why he won’t walk and chew stimulus at the same time — particularly given how much Trump wants a deal before the election.

McConnell is, however, at least baking some stimulus crumbs by proposing a series of doomed “skinny bills,” including an upcoming one to create a second round of PPP loans.

Democrats haven’t given terribly compelling reasons for why they keep rejecting these piecemeal proposals out of hand, particularly in light of their recent willingness to pass a standalone US Postal Service bailout bill (which, conversely, McConnell ignored).

Where it stands: “I’m proposing what we think is appropriate,” said McConnell when asked about Trump’s “Go big or go home!!!” directive on stimulus. McConnell issued a statement on Tuesday saying that the Senate’s “first order of business” when it returns on Oct. 19 will be to vote on a $500 billion targeted bill — a quarter of what both the WH and Democrats are proposing.