Battle over coronavirus relief intensifies ahead of U.S. election

FILE PHOTO: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell speaks to reporters after the Senate Republican luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington U.S., September 9 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The battle over a hefty, new U.S. coronavirus aid bill was set to spill into Wednesday as the White House and Democrats try to strike a deal before the Nov. 3 presidential and congressional elections, now with the encouragement of President Donald Trump.

Plenty of hurdles remained, however, not the least of which was the overall price tag of a bill that could be in the range of $2.2 trillion, the number Democrats had been pushing for months.