Just a week before Christmas, 12 million people are poised to lose vital benefits and face eviction if Congress fails to pass another COVID-19 relief package. Amid rising rates of unemployment and food insecurity, lawmakers are negotiating for a bipartisan $900 billion relief package alongside a $1.4 trillion spending bill. The relief deal could involve a second round of stimulus checks—the first since March’s CARES Act, which provided $1,200 checks to eligible Americans. Congress must agree to the terms before midnight on Dec. 19 or risk a government shutdown, according to The Washington Post.
The COVID-19 relief package debate has involved prominent Democrats like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as well as Republicans like Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Ongoing negotiations have seen both sides make some concessions, according to the Post. The package will reportedly not include $160 billion for local and state governments (a Democratic priority) or a COVID-19 liability shield for employers (a stipulation for Republicans).
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As lawmakers iron out the details, a recent poll from Vox and Data for Progress poll found 74 percent of likely voters give priority to passing a pandemic relief bill over curbing the national debt, which got 21 percent of the vote. “It’s a down payment. An important down payment that’s going to have to be done,” President-elect Joe Biden said on Thursday, per the Post. “It’s very important to get done.”
Here’s what you need to know about the latest COVID-19 relief package’s possible impact on you.
What’s in the latest COVID-19 relief package?
The exact terms of both the relief package and spending bill are still being agreed upon. But ABC News reports that $300 billion of the $900 billion is slated for struggling businesses, $25 billion is for rental assistance on past and future payments, $45 billion is for transit systems, and $10 billion is for a United States Postal Service bailout, with $300-per-week unemployment benefits (capped at 10-weeks) and one-time $600 stimulus checks for eligible citizens. Additionally, the package would include a short-term 15 percent increase in food stamp aide, expanded farm subsidies, and further funding for vaccine administration and educational needs. The Post reports that a current sticking point between Democrats and Republicans is subsidizing the Paycheck Protection Program, which previously benefited large corporations, among other recipients.
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Who are some of the key players involved?
The Washington Post reports that Democrat Sens. Joe Manchin and Mark R. Warner of Virginia worked alongside Republican Utah Sen. Mitt Romney on the initial provisions of a relief bill earlier this week. “The final bill is expected to closely mirror their initial proposal, which was also crafted in part by the House Problem Solvers Caucus,” the Post wrote, noting that conversations are ongoing between Pelosi, McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
Per the newspaper, Sanders and Manchin were in conflict over direct payments in the package. Aides said that the pair sparred during a conference call on Wednesday, where Sanders lobbied for the importance of stimulus checks, while Manchin argued that “unemployment benefits are more essential to approve,” according to the Post. Sanders deemed both benefits as insufficient, telling the outlet, “I don’t know how Democrats started accepting a framework of only $900 billion.”
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How much will I receive if the current stimulus package passes?
If the package passes, those eligible for stimulus checks will reportedly receive a one-time payment of $600, half of the March payments of $1,200. Sanders and Hawley have reportedly led efforts to ensure another round of $1,200 payments to each American and have also worked to demand a vote on this policy amid negotiations. Hawley told CBS News that $600 was a “good movement in the right direction,” but maintained, “I think it needs to be $1,200.” Sanders tweeted on Dece 14, “Congress cannot go home for the Christmas holidays until we pass legislation which provides a $1,200 direct payment to working class adults, $2,400 for couples, and a $500 payment to their children.”
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President Trump also supports a second round of stimulus checks, according to The Washington Post. As the plan tentatively stands, eligible Americans can expect one check of $600 and an $300-per-week for those who are unemployed. Unemployment aide is reportedly set to last only through the end of March, meaning President-elect Biden will likely need to pass another stimulus package in the early part of 2021.
What will happen if the package isn’t approved?
With each hour that ticks by, that midnight deadline draws nearer. If Congress doesn’t pass the spending bill before lawmakers leave for the holidays, it’s “highly likely” they will be negotiating through the weekend, McConnell told ABC News. Even more pressing, a failure to pass the package could cause a federal government shutdown when funding runs out on Dec. 19.
“There may be a partial lapse. It’s clear we’re here for the weekend,” Democrat Delaware Sen. Chris Coons told CNN on Thursday. “It seems to me that the issues that remain unresolved are bridgeable. But the question is how long does that take.” A likely option to combat a shutdown is a stopgap spending action that would delay any shutdown through the weekend and afford Congress a few more days, according to The Washington Post.
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Last night, Politico reported that Republicans and Democrats were at a standstill regarding several issues, including eligibility for stimulus checks, halting the Federal Reserve from providing emergency pandemic relief, and whether people would be able to receive both the $300 unemployment checks and a $600 stimulus.
“We’ll have an announcement when we have our announcement,” Pelosi told reporters Thursday evening. According to the Post, almost 8 million people have fallen into poverty since summer, amid expiring emergency aid and an unprecedented pandemic that’s killed 300,000 Americans.
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