Washington Post: “The notion that more aid is necessary — Biden at times has said talks should start as early as January — sets up perhaps the first major legislative test for the new president and his self-proclaimed negotiating skills.”

“Congress overwhelmingly approved $900 billion of relief for households and businesses battered by the coronavirus pandemic, passing an emergency measure aimed at buoying the country through a difficult winter and into a new year,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

Associated Press: “The $900 billion pandemic relief package that was rushed through Congress Monday created a familiar year-end conundrum for lawmakers: It was a bill too big to fail, and also too big to read.”

Jonathan Bernstein: “I got one wrong. In the deal reached Sunday on the pandemic relief and stimulus bill, it appears that President Donald Trump successfully negotiated for one of his priorities: the return of the three-martini lunch.”

“Oddly enough, this comes at a time when, from all reports, Trump is paying no attention to his job, instead focusing only on efforts to undermine the rule of law by overturning an election that he lost. Presumably he told Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who negotiated the deal with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on behalf of the White House, that he didn’t much care what was in the bill as long as it included this provision.”

“As for the Democrats? This particular log-roll seems like a big win for them. The business deduction may be lousy policy and a subsidy for the rich, but it’s relatively harmless overall — and liberal policy experts are thrilled with what they got in return. So it’s a win for Trump, a win for Democrats and a loss for congressional Republicans. If there’s been a deal with any similar configuration over the past four years, I can’t think of it.”

“For much of the economy — especially people and industries that have been insulated from the worst effects of the pandemic — it may provide a bridge to a vaccine-fueled rebound. That is especially likely if the vaccine is quickly and widely distributed, and the swelling number of coronavirus cases doesn’t force another round of widespread shutdowns,” the New York Times reports.

“The injection of money comes months too late for tens of thousands of failed businesses, however, and it may not be enough to sustain unemployed workers until the labor market rebounds. Moreover, it could be the last help from Washington the economy gets anytime soon.”

“Congressional leaders on Saturday morning were still scrambling to clinch a coronavirus relief deal, just two days before lawmakers face the threat of yet another shutdown,” Politico reports.

“Both chambers now plan to hold a rare weekend session days before Christmas, with negotiators in both parties saying they aim to reach a final agreement within hours.”

Playbook: “Has a president ever been so absent during a crisis? Congress has been struggling with a Covid-relief deal, and the man who got to the White House on his deal bonafides has been completely silent, uninvolved and seemingly uninterested.”

NBC News: “Negotiators already dropped two contentious provisions that were holding up an agreement — liability protections for employers and funding for state and local governments.”

“But leaders had hit a new roadblock as Democrats on Friday accused Republicans, led by Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., of seeking to hamstring the incoming Biden administration by cutting off Federal Reserve emergency lending facilities created by the CARES Act to protect the fragile economy.”

“Democrats want to extend that authority into the new year, describing it as an important tool to respond to an economic crisis.”

Every U.S. state saw personal income drop in the third quarter as stimulus wound down, according to Commerce Department data.

“White House aides intervened Thursday to prevent President Trump from issuing a statement calling for substantially larger stimulus payments for millions of Americans,” the Washington Post reports.

“On a phone call Thursday afternoon, Trump told allies that he believes stimulus payments in next relief package should be ‘at least’ $1,200 per person and possibly as big as $2,000 per person, the officials said. Congressional leadership is currently preparing a stimulus package that would provide checks of $600 per person.”

“Negotiators on Capitol Hill and at the White House have still not wrapped up talks over a nearly $1 trillion coronavirus relief package ahead of a Friday deadline, as Republicans and Democrats spar over tens of billions of dollars in government spending,” Politico reports.

“A weekend session in Congress is becoming increasingly likely, and top aides are discussing a bill to keep the government funded until Sunday to allow for further talks and drafting of the rescue package.”

“The U.S. poverty rate has surged over the past five months, with 7.8 million Americans falling into poverty, the latest indication of how deeply many are struggling after government aid dwindled,” the Washington Post reports.

“The poverty rate jumped to 11.7 percent in November, up 2.4 percentage points since June, according to new data released Wednesday by researchers at the University of Chicago and the University of Notre Dame.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told CBS News that “we’re getting closer and closer” to a deal on a COVID economic relief bill.

Said McConnell: “We’re making significant progress and I’m optimistic that we’re going to be able to complete an understanding sometime soon.”

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) told Axios that the $748 billion bipartisan relief proposal will be used as the framework in the Senate for a final package that Congress hopes to pass by the end of the week.