WASHINGTON, D.C. — The month of July has become an unofficial benchmark for when Congress may pass another coronavirus relief package, but pandemic politics are dragging into the summer.

Capitol Hill is quiet for the next two weeks, while Congress spends some time home, but negotiations are underway.

“I’ve been having conversations trying to talk people into — can we find a middle ground? Obviously, that gets harder and harder as we get closer to a presidential election,” said Representative Steve Stivers (R, 15th Congressional District) in an interview on July 1.

Since March, Congress has passed three giant pieces of legislation that have poured roughly $3 trillion into the economy.

Then in mid-May, House Democrats passed their version of a “Phase 4” — the $3 trillion Heroes Act. But the Republican-led Senate was never going to take it up because of the price tag.

To this day, the cost and intent of another relief package remain a partisan sticking point, including among Ohio’s members of Congress.

“I would like to not focus on a phase four or phase five, but a phase one of reopening and getting back to business for people,” Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R, 2nd Congressional District) said in an interview on July 1.

In a separate conversation on July 1, Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D, 9th Congressional District) said: “I think the Senate should do its job and pass the Heroes Act, as we did here in the House. We know there will have to be some compromise.”

While lawmakers have, so far, agreed that small businesses should continue to be helped and money should keep going to vaccine development and testing, there’s disagreement over things like extending the increased federal unemployment benefits past July or sending out another round of direct payments.

Republicans point to the growing deficit and the fact that not all $3 trillion already signed into law has been spent.

“Just to say, ‘Ok, we’re going to have another package’ and put money out there, it could be that people don’t need it at this time,” Rep. Bob Latta (R, 5th Congressional District) said in an interview on June 23.

“There’s not a limitless, endless pot of money here,” Rep. Bill Johnson (R, 6th Congressional District) added in an interview on July 1. “And anything that we do additionally has got to be targeted.”

But Democrats argue the country is going to be on a roller coaster for the foreseeable future, as coronavirus numbers fluctuate and communities dance between reopening and closing back down.

“And that signals to me that the economic pain is going to be going on for a while, so instead of government always reacting and waiting and then trying to catch back up, it’s time for government to start playing offense,” Rep. Tim Ryan (D, 13th Congressional District) said in a FaceTime interview on June 24.

Then there’s President Trump, who is running for re-election and seems determined to reopen the country as fast as possible.

He said he’s open to there being another relief package, but he hasn’t made clear yet what compromises he’s willing to make with Democrats.

The House and Senate are scheduled to be back in session on Monday, July 20.