Democrats counter that the funding they’re seeking is also desperately needed and McConnell failed to negotiate with them before moving forward on his small-business push.

In a boost for Democrats' argument, governors are making bipartisan calls for more federal aid to their states. In a joint statement Saturday, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, urged Congress to provide states with an additional $500 billion to address shortfalls stemming from the pandemic.

Without the funding, Hogan and Cuomo warned, "states will have to confront the prospect of significant reductions to critically important services all across this country, hampering public health, the economic recovery, and — in turn — our collective effort to get people back to work."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) both spoke with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Friday, and Schumer said Mnuchin had agreed to engage in bipartisan talks with House and Senate leadership.

In addition to additional money for hospitals and local governments, Democrats want to see some of the $250 billion in aid for small businesses directed to underserved communities.

Schumer said Friday he saw “no reason why we can’t come to a bipartisan agreement by early next week.”

The Senate will next meet for a pro forma session Monday. But at this point, another stalemate on the Senate floor seems the likeliest outcome.

