Treasury's Mnuchin urges Congress to tap unused CARES Act funds for COVID relief

Nov 30 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Monday urged Congress to tap into $455 billion of unused emergency relief funds to fuel an additional, targeted round of pandemic economic assistance for American households and businesses.

"Based on recent economic data, I continue to believe that a targeted fiscal package is the most appropriate federal response," Mnuchin said in prepared testimony to the Senate Banking Committee released ahead of a hearing scheduled for Tuesday. Mnuchin will appear alongside Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

"I strongly encourage Congress to use the $455 billion in unused funds from the CARES Act to pass an additional bill with bipartisan support," Mnuchin said. "The Administration is standing ready to support Congress in this effort to help American workers and small businesses that continue to struggle with the impact of COVID-19." (Reporting by Dan Burns; Editing by Leslie Adler)