WASHINGTON – The Republican-controlled Senate will on Wednesday accept a COVID-19 stimulus package with a bill of $500, a bill to leave the Senate as relief negotiations drag on less than two weeks before Election Day.
The bill would give a federal touch to weekly unemployment benefits, send a bill of more than $100 to schools, and allocate budget for testing and vaccine development. Democrats block legislation, arguing that more cash is needed to fight the virus and help Americans.
The value of the $ 500 billion bill is well below the $ 1. 8 trillion package introduced by the White House and the $ 2. 2 trillion package that Democrats have supported. Both sides spent months seeking to succeed in a bipartisan agreement to one last batch of relief for the coronavirus stimulus before the election.
The talks were dizzying, with negotiations waiting to be greeted with optimism and additional discussions between Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, who blamed Democrats for opposing a compromise, told Republicans Tuesday that he had suggested to the White House not to reach an agreement with Democrats on a COVID-19 contingency plan, according to a Senate source who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk about closed-door talks.
The Kentucky Republican said he feared there weren’t enough Republican votes to help a broader package and raised considerations that voting on that law might be a negative time for Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court Confirmation vote, which is scheduled for Monday, according to the source. Said.
Senate Republicans have highlighted their considerations about maximum value due to the development of national debt and the pieces Democrats have ordered, such as the budget for local and state governments.
Instead, they supported the $500 billion bill. While it is not expected to be passed on Wednesday, the law will largely serve as a tool for Republicans to set their priorities. It can also provide a lifeline for outgoing Republican senators in difficult situations facing difficult problems. -Election campaigns.
The Senate voted Tuesday on a small independent bill to reauthorize the small business payout coverage (PPP) program. The bill would have allowed some other small business loan circulation, but blocked through Democrats, who advocated a broader policy. Package.
Congress last approved a comprehensive package in March, and many of its provisions have expired: a federal accumulation of weekly unemployment benefits sold out in July, airline assistance expired in October, and Americans in economic recession eagerly await a stimulus circular.
Despite McConnell’s considerations of negotiating an agreement before the election, Pelosi and Mnuchin continued talks to verify and find a compromise.
McConnell said Tuesday that a “president-backed bill” would be presented to the Senate if passed in the House of Representatives, although lawmakers have become pessimistic about the introduction of a bipartisan law.
Senator Richard Shelthrough, Alabama Republican, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned the existence of a primary aid program and called the $1. 8 trillion filed through the White House a “high number. “
“Time is running out and I’m sure of what we’re doing,” he said.