In the meantime, unemployment benefits for millions of unemployed Americans ran out in August.
As expected, the Senate GOP didn’t get the votes they needed to pass their “skinny” coronavirus relief bill, which failed 52-47 on Thursday.
The legislation needed 60 votes to pass. All Democrats voted against the bill, and Republican Sen. Rand Paul also opposed it.
House leadership and the White House had been debating for weeks over the next round of coronavirus relief aid, without reaching any agreement. Democratic lawmakers in the House approved a $3 trillion coronavirus relief proposal back in May that, if it had passed, would have continued enhanced unemployment benefits for millions of Americans before they ran out in August.
Since then, the GOP proposed its own relief package with far fewer benefits Although the White House called for it, the proposal did not include another round of $1,200 stimulus checks for individuals and notably excludes funding for state and local governments that could face widespread layoffs. It also slims down the amount of enhanced unemployment money from $600 to $300 per week.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said the proposal didn’t do nearly enough for Americans.
“Republicans may call their proposal ‘skinny,’ but it would be more appropriate to call it ‘emaciated,’” Schumer wrote in a letter to colleagues in early September.
The GOP plan also includes a few proposals that Democrats say are simply a no-go, including liability protections for businesses and a tax credit aimed at assisting students attend private schools.
Although the proposal was designed to get as many Republican senators on board as possible, it was not expected to pass. The legislation needed the support of 60 senators, and with Democrats and one Republican opposed, that was not going to happen.
Not to mention the proposal was so pared down that very few Democrats were likely to support it.
“The truth is, if you wanted to draft a bill that was certain to fail, McConnell’s proposal is it. One of the most cynical moves I’ve ever seen in the midst of a huge crisis,” Schumer said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Despite this failure Congress must pass some funding this month to avoid another government shutdown. Funding for agencies across the branches of government need money at the end of September when the fiscal year ends. There have been talks of stop-gap measures that would extend government spending, at current levels, at least through the election.
Elle Meyers Elle Meyers is a Congressional Reporter for COURIER where she covers national politics and lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Previously Elle was a beat reporter in Montgomery County, Maryland and she is a native of Portland.
