House Democrats have a $2.2 trillion aid package that still includes enhanced $600 per week unemployment benefit.
House Democrats are trying to get Republicans to sign on to a new round of coronavirus relief aid, unveiling a $2.2 trillion package that would provide support to families, businesses, schools, and other industries.
The new proposal is an effort to revive negotiations that have been stuck at an impasse for months. It was released shortly before House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin spoke by phone Monday evening in an effort to move negotiations along. POLITICO reports that Pelosi and Mnuchin spoke Tuesday morning, and agreed to talk again on Wednesday.
The proposal is a slimmed down version of the $3.4 trillion version House Democrats passed back in May. Their new proposal cuts back on funding for state, local and tribal governments, as well as the Postal Service.
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But the $600 a week for enhanced unemployment benefits and $1,200 stimulus checks to individuals are still included in the package. It also has $225 billion for schools, $57 billion for child care which extends a program that’s set to expire, and the creation of a program with $120 billion to support restaurants. Democrats also cut their original proposal for state, local and tribal governments in half to $436 billion.
“Democrats are making good on our promise to compromise with this updated bill, which is necessary to address the immediate health and economic crisis facing America’s working families right now,” Pelosi wrote in a letter to her caucus. “We have been able to make critical additions and reduce the cost of the bill by shortening the time covered for now.”
Despite the compromises from the Democrats, the proposal is more generous than what Senate Republicans pitched. Their proposal was so slim that top Democrats called it “emaciated,” arguing that it didn’t provide nearly enough support to the people and industries that so desperately need help.
The Democrats’ new proposal comes with mounting pressure from other government leaders and calls from the public to pass some form of legislation before the election.
“With families, businesses and local communities truly hurting from the impacts of this health and economic crisis, it’s unconscionable for Congress to go home without taking action,” said Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) in a tweet. “Right now, there’s a huge amount of support from both sides of the aisle to finally get a new relief package over the finish line, and I’m hopeful that the legislation being announced today can help get the House and Senate to come to an agreement and that the president can sign it into law as soon as possible.”
The proposal is the most concrete move towards another stimulus package since negotiations stopped over the summer.
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.
