Congressional leaders are poised to approve another COVID stimulus package after a months-long stalemate exacerbated by the presidential election and the appointment of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
The $900 billion proposal is a watered-down version of the CARES Act that includes stimulus checks of $600-$700 and extends the $300-per-week supplemental unemployment assistance through March.
Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) threatened to use an upcoming deadline to force a vote on stimulus checks – a goal also backed by President Donald Trump.
In addition to stimulus checks, the COVID package is expected to include significant funding for small businesses, transportation, healthcare, and education as well as protections against surprise medical billing.
Notably, the deal does not include the $160 billion blue state bailout favored by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) or the liability protections for businesses favored by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
A bipartisan proposal unveiled in early December included both of these elements but did not offer direct payments to Americans.
Though it does not include direct aid to local and state governments, the proposal does offer “other avenues to deliver aid to states, localities, territories, and tribes,” said a person familiar with the negotiations.
“We made major headway toward hammering out a targeted pandemic relief package that would be able to pass both chambers with bipartisan majorities,” said McConnell on Wednesday. “We committed to continuing these urgent discussions until we have an agreement and we agreed we will not leave town until we’ve made law.”
“For Democrats, this has always been about getting the American people the relief they need at a time of an acute national crisis, of an emergency to so many Americans,” adds Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), who made it clear that Congress would be speaking about COVID relief again in the future.
The new stimulus package will come as part of the year-end spending bill that must be passed by December 18th to avoid a government shutdown. The House will vote on the proposal first and send it to the Senate to pass before the deadline.
If lawmakers fail to approve the stimulus package, an estimated 12 million laid-off workers will be left with zero income the day after Christmas when programs established by CARES expire.
Deadline December 18th … tomorrow!
I’ll believe it when I see a check in the mail or a posting to my bank account.
Sadly, many of us have little to no faith in our government to do what is right for the people they were elected to serve.
Very few understand that they are our employees.
The war will be starting soon so it would be nice to have the extra money for ammo
Amen Brother!
If they would have gotton rid of Pelosi a long time ago we were exams are jacked long before Christmas. It’s a bunch of bull crap. ALL OF IT !!!!!
Ok when the stemming checks come out what is the date
DO SOMETHING!!! OR TRADE PLACES WITH THESE FOLKS AND GIVE THEM YOUR CHECK!
Many people cannot reach the end of the month. Others still receiving reduced pay checks at the end of their mkwirking months. Are some bosses still taking inmoral advantage and saving these percentages in their favor?
Why doesn’t Chucky “FerretFace” Schumer just shut up and go away. He is never satisfied, always complaining and NEVER has a solution to his perceived problem. He is a huge part of the problem. Him and his girl friend Nancy Pelosi!
Lol please don’t insult ferrets
Thank Moscow Mitch. he held up a relief package 8 months ago.
He and his idiotic girlfriend Pelosi have dementia and are sick beyond repair! Throw them the hell out!!!!!!
No just illegals
$600. – 700. Isn’t enough when you have gone in debt using Credit Cards to buy groceries & house necessities like toilet paper & Lysol since this Summer. Why not another $1,200. Check? At least that would pay my RENT!
We can thank Nancy Pelosi for the situation most families are with Christmas around the corner. Her agenda comes before the American people. She needs to be voted out as the House Speaker as soon as possible. She is noting more than a B***H. She really does not care!!!!
It’s about time they do something to help people instead of trying to figure ways to fatten their checks
My husband and I are not hurting, but there are a lot of people that are loosing their homes and businesses that need help. These are the people that need the government to step up and give them a helping hand. I can’t believe that the Democrat’s only want to help the states that allowed the riots to destroy everything in their path. They are the ones that do not deserve the help. The businesses that were destroyed because of the riots do, but not the state its self.
My reply is that someone should tell everyone in the white house including the democrats they should all be ashamed of themselves. This isn’t about covid 19 , its all about power and control there aren’t as many people dying from covid19 as they are telling the public (shame)
I agree with.you,I have wondered if these cases were really as many as they claim.
I am a disabled senior on a minimal fixed income. I worked 37 years and paid into this country with my sweat and blood. I deserve better than to stress and worry about how I am going to get my meds, pay my bills, and buy groceries. I get a lousy $16.00 a MONTH on SNAP. Have you been to a store lately? Do you see what little I can get on $16.00 a month and how high groceries have went up?
The CITIZENS of AMERICA NEED your help…NOW!!!
You people were voted in by us and your only job is to take care of the American people.
PLEASE DO YOUR JOBS
All LIARS
This is to bail out their commie friend’s in burned out cities done by THEIR people.
1200 measly dollars while they get billions.
Same ole same ole.
THEY ALL NEED TO HANG
It’s about dame time,but I think checks should be same as before,something is better than nothing.
I really could use a stimulus check. Many of us are just hanging on.
The Democratic needs to stop lying they were the one that didn’t sign or vote for the bill.
When President Trump leaves office, many, many, many sad days will come to be with the cheating, distorted Democratic party’s stealing and lying to begin. I am afraid of things to come….with Mr. Trump, we at least had a fair, new beginning….that will never offer hope now. Many of us middle class (from both parties) are doing all we can to keep from drowning. Where once we had the potential from health, wealth and happiness…all we”ll know now is the illegal diversion and the take over of our FREEDOM. Beyond the epidemic, we had the strong possibility and realistic hope that we were going in a very positive direction….now? The prediction that we will lose our rights through the Democratic Party and all those citizens willing to let our country fall into Communistic/Socialistic hands. We can only pray that this transition happens quickly…but, I don’t think our current society is smart enough to know one way or another the promised threat this negative promise will come to pass….may God truly help us during these troubling times. We can only hope that the proof of deception from the Bidon family, (including Joe) come to pass quickly.
another one . don’t you know what integrity means. thrump is a con man anybody who has lived in ny knows. him as a thief, liar, racist to the bone. you drank the trump coolaid. wake up
We dont need a measly $600. What we need is a strong U.S. dollar. Printing more fiat dollars does nothing to the big picture. We need to close our borders to all new immigration, deport every illegal and tax our corporations so high they bring back all our industries to replace our lost jobs. Eliminate all freebies from the government. If the jobs are available people will go back to work. Bullshit only Mexicans will do those jobs. We have highways, bridges and cities in disrepair that need to be fixed. Put an end to protests that involve property damage with whatever force is needed. Bullshit on less law enforcement and releasing criminals back into society that have no way to support themselves. Only release them if they go to work to improve their lives not to destroy more. Bullshit on legalizing drugs Oregon are you F—ing nuts. Set up sanctuary cities for illegals as a gathering spot to deport them. If their countries refuse to take them back cut off all monetary support and put them in tent cities on the borders. Give them one avenue of escape back to their own country. It is time we bring our troops home and allow them to secure our borders. A 50 cal every mile on the border is cheaper than any wall. Change laws that imprison employers caught hiring illegals. That eliminates any need for a wall. Give the military authority to seize every asset of the drug lords. To include all their U.S. holdings. Lastly bring back the U.S. miltary draft and require every able bodied American men and women to serve for 3 years. A little discipline will help them all, get them off their parents couches and give them a living wage. If they are part of the system they will have less to cry about.
Am I getting a stimulus check or not. I would like to know,because I do have a child and she is leaving with me.