WASHINGTON (NewsNation Now) — There’s growing optimism on Capitol Hill about a potential deal for a new round of COVID-19 relief for Americans.
What exactly is on the table?
With time running out, lawmakers this weekend closed in on a proposed COVID-19 relief bill that would provide roughly $300 in extra federal weekly unemployment benefits but not another round of $1,200 in direct payments to most Americans, leaving that issue for President-elect Joe Biden to wrestle over with a new Congress next year.
Jobless benefits
Lawmakers said they are likely to extend emergency unemployment payments and that they could restore a bonus benefit of $300 a week.
Paycheck Protection Program
The paycheck protection program would also continue, giving a second round of funds to businesses.
Stimulus checks
President Donald Trump said he supports another round of $1,200 stimulus checks, but right now — that is not included in the Senate GOP’s plan or the $908 billion bipartisan plan.
Where the debate stands
Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the second-ranking Democrat, indicated that excluding the checks while assuring small-business aid and renters’ assistance was the only way to reach agreement with Republicans who are putting firm limits on the bill’s final price tag.
“The $1,200 check, it cost we believe nationally $300 billion to give you an idea,” he said. “The Democrats have always wanted a larger number, but we were told we couldn’t get anything through the Republicans, except this $900 billion level.”
The plan being worked on by a group of Republican and Democratic senators is less than half of the Democrats’ push of $2.2 trillion and nearly double the $500 billion “targeted” package proposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., agreed that a new round of direct checks “may be a go” at some point. “This is not a stimulus bill, it’s a relief bill,” he said. “And it’s something for the next three to four months to help those in greatest need.”
On Sunday, lawmakers involved in the negotiations said the direct payments would have to wait until after President-elect Biden is inaugurated on Jan. 20. At that time, Biden will face a new Congress as vaccines are being distributed, with a narrowed Democratic majority in the House and a closely divided Senate potentially split 50-50 if Democrats are able to prevail in two runoff elections in Georgia on Jan. 5.