All parties seemed hopeful that the dispute would not derail the legislation, even as the chances of announcing an agreement on Thursday faded. After being trapped for much of the day, negotiators reported backstage progress Thursday night.
The core elements of a tough commitment emerged: more than $ 300 billion in aid to businesses; a $ 300 weekly bonus for federal unemployment benefits and renewal of state benefits that will expire soon; Direct payments of $ 600 to individuals; vaccine and money distribution funds for tenants, schools, postal service and people in need of food aid.
But a temporary funding bill runs out at midnight Friday and Senate No. 2 Republican Sen. John Thune said if there is no agreement by then, some Republicans could block a temporary funding bill , which would cause a partial low-impact weekend stop: as a means to maintain pressure.
SEE ALSO: White House offer adds $ 600 checks to COVID-19 relief
Lawmakers were told to wait to be in session and vote this weekend.
“We must not stop treating these talks as routine negotiations that will take place at the routine pace of Congress,” said Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader R-Ky. “The Senate is not going anywhere until we have COVID relief at the door.”
The hangups were an effort by GOP Conservatives to curb Treasury Department and Federal Reserve emergency lending programs, a democratic demand to eliminate local government adequacy requirements for COVID-related grants. 19 for disasters and a myriad of smaller disagreements over non-pandemic complements, lawmakers and aides said.
The delays were not unusual for legislation of this size and importance, but lawmakers are eager to leave Washington for the holidays and are getting upset.
The pending bill is the first significant legislative response to the pandemic since the CARES law was passed virtually unanimously in March, offering $ 1.8 trillion in aid and more generous unemployment benefits of $ 600 a week and $ 1,200 direct to people.
CARES legislation was passed at a time of great uncertainty and unprecedented stoppages in a failed attempt to obstruct the coronavirus, but after that, many Republicans focused more on loosening social and economic constraints as a key to recovery rather than more taxpayer-funded aid.
Now, Republicans are primarily motivated to expand business subsidies and some unemployment benefits and provide money for schools and vaccines. Democrats have focused on greater economic stimulus measures and more aid for those struggling financially during the pandemic. The urgency was highlighted on Thursday by weekly unemployment figures, which revealed that 885,000 people applied for unemployment benefits last week, the highest weekly total since September.
The emerging package is well below the more than $ 2 trillion Democrats demanded this fall ahead of the election, but President-elect Joe Biden is looking for an aid package to boost the economy and help the unemployed and those who are hungry. While Biden says more economic stimulus will be needed early next year, some Republicans say the current package may be the last.
“If we address critical needs right now and things get better next year as the vaccine comes out and the economy starts to pick up, you know, maybe there will be less need,” Thune said.
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Details were still being worked out, but the measure includes a second round of “salary protection” payments to specially affected companies, $ 25 billion to help tenants with problems with their payments, $ 45 billion for lines airlines and traffic systems, a 15% temporary more or less increase in the benefits of the food stamp, additional agricultural subsidies and a $ 10 billion ransom for the postal service.
Some Democrats also lamented the exclusion of a $ 500 million aid package to help states organize their elections. The money was deemed urgent this summer to help states more securely administer their elections amid the pandemic. But with the election over, the money drive is gone.
The new package served as a magnet for adding other items and both parties continued to change offers. It was clear that another temporary spending bill would be needed to prevent a government shutdown. This is likely to happen easily, though it may not be until the last minute.
The emerging package would combine the $ 900 billion relief from COVID-19 with a $ 1.4 trillion government-wide funding bill. Below are numerous unrelated add-ons that are being walked around, known as “ashes and rubbish” in the appropriations panel shorthand.
One of the top candidates is a nearly 400-page water resources bill that targets $ 10 billion for 46 flood control, environmental protection and coastal protection projects of the Army Corps of Engineers. . Another potential addition would extend a batch of tax credits that will soon expire, including one for craft brewers, wineries and distillers.
The rush at the end of the session also promises relief to victims of surprisingly abrupt surprise medical bills, a phenomenon that often occurs when providers leave insurance company networks.
“It has been studied very thoroughly,” said retired Senator Lamar Alexander, R-Ten., Of the surprise medical billing measure. This measure, combined with an assortment of other health policy provisions, generates savings for federal funding of community health centers.
A key breakthrough came earlier this week when Democrats agreed to withdraw its much-sought-after local government aid package of $ 160 billion in exchange for McConnell abandoning a key priority: a shield of responsibility for companies and other institutions such as universities that fear COVID-19 lawsuits.
The addition of the $ 600 direct payments came after recent endorsements from both President Donald Trump and progressives such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., And Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, DN.Y., along with the ambitious GOP Senator Josh Hawley. of Missouri. The idea is not very popular in other corners, as it is extremely expensive and would give money to millions of people who may not need it, but it has a huge political appeal and is difficult to stop.
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