Senate Republicans revealed their almost $1 trillion coronavirus relief bill Monday, setting the stage for tough negotiations with Democrats as unemployment befits are set to end July 31, the Wall Street Journal reports.
What We Know:
- The Republicans plan would cut the $600 weekly payments to just $200 into September before combining with state benefits to replace 70% of previous wages. Democrats have proposed keeping the $600 weekly payments through January.
- “We have one foot in the pandemic, and one foot in the recovery. The American people need more help. They need it to be comprehensive, and they need it to be carefully tailored to this crossroads. That is what this Senate majority has assembled,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said in a statement regarding the GOP’s new proposal.
- Democrats found that the GOP’s proposal did not offer enough and criticized its delay. “We’re running out of time, but Senate Republicans just ran down the clock and tossed an air ball,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) stated.
- Finding common ground will be difficult as Republicans and Democrats have laid out different priorities in their bills. In the Republican proposal, state and local governments would receive no additional aid whereas a Democratic plan would give $1 trillion to groups to fill budget gaps.
- Democrats also want to raise the payments for children from its current $500 to $1,200 for up to 3 children. The Republican plan keeps the payment at $500 and expands the definition of “dependent” to include adult dependents and those over 16. The proposal would increase money sent to parents of college students and those that care for their elderly parents.
- The Republican plan would also provide schools and universities with $105 billion to deal with operating costs during the pandemic. Some of the aid is only available for schools with reopening plans. Senate Democrats proposed increasing that number to $430 billion.
- Senate Republicans also followed through on their plans to include liability protections for schools, businesses, and health care providers, making it more difficult for those organizations to be sued over coronavirus.
- The bill also includes additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program and money for new testing.
Though 7.5 million jobs were added in May and June, a resurgence of COVID-19 in states like California and Texas forced new business closures and restrictions, creating fear among lawmakers of another economic meltdown.
