Coronavirus Aid Package: What More Americans Can Expect Amid Pandemic

As concerns around the coronavirus have upended life for a vast number of U.S. citizens, there is an upcoming one-time payment of $1,200. While those checks have yet to arrive, there are a number of other packages that could be on their way to help offset the financial impact brought by social distancing guidelines. As USA Today reports, a second stimulus packaged is already being discussed.

“We could very well do a second round,” President Donald Trump said Monday at a White House news conference. “It is absolutely under serious consideration.” This would be in addition to the three stimulus bills currently approved by Congress, the largest is a $2.2 trillion economic recovery package which includes the one-time payments of up to $1,200 to millions of Americans.

Some Republicans in Congress initially disputed the possibility, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stated that there will be more, but it “will need to be tailored to the actual needs of our nation.” Here’s a look at what some of the additional aid packages could entail in the weeks ahead.

Additional Checks

House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi had also spoken about an additional stimulus package on Monday. While the details haven’t been finalized, she believes it could top the $1 trillion mark and wants it to be aimed at helping small businesses and families.

Health Worker Hazard Pay

Trump and Senate Democrats have both been talking about a way to boost the income of medical workers who’ve been dealing with the influx of COVID-19 cases directly. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer helped introduce a plan in April that would increase pay for essential workers, including health care, sanitation and grocery stores. The fund would increase pay up to $25,000, or $13 an hour, from the start of the crisis through to the end of the year. 

Infrastructure Spending

The crumbling infrastructure in the U.S. has been a talking point for years, including that of Trump’s election campaign back in 2016. On March 31, Trump expressed interest (via Twitter) for a $2 trillion stimulus for the nation’s roads and bridges. Pelosi, while originally on board, now wants more money for state and local governments, small businesses and to extend provisions in the next stimulus bill. Meaning infrastructure might be on the back burner once again. 

Voting by Mail

In March, a group of 51 state Democratic Party chairs signed a letter last month pushing Congress to allocate at least $2 billion to states so as to help them expand early voting, vote by mail and voter education. Of the $2.2 trillion in the first stimulus package, $400 million is slotted to help states with their primary and general elections. House Democrats, led by Pelosi, are asking for $4 billion. 

Barriers and Disagreements

While voting by mail seems to be the best option, many do not believe it to be a secure way to vote. President Trump in particular has taken a hard stance against voting by mail, calling it a format “RIPE for FRAUD.”

How Long Could It Last?

Given that the social distancing and quarantine efforts by Americans could go on for months, this is likely far from the end of the aid from the government. That said, there is no telling what else could come and what disagreements could arise before the end of the summer.