Stimulus Chances Dying as Mnuchin Cites Closeness of Election

The chances of Congress passing a pre-election stimulus are all but gone, as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Wednesday blamed politics for undermining the months-long negotiations.

“At this point getting something done before the election and executing on that would be difficult, just given where we are in the level of details,” Mnuchin said at the Milken Institute Global Conference.

With a deal out of reach, the two sides in the talks faulted each other for the breakdown.

Mnuchin agreed in response to a question that “part of the reality” is Democrats are holding back out of optimism they’ll win ...