As Americans are fully aware, it has been about eight months since Congress passed their first and, so far, the only stimulus package, the CARES Act. Over the past several months, lawmakers have been trying to negotiate on a second package. However, they have yet to make any progress on that front. In particular, many Americans are wondering whether another round of stimulus checks are on the way. According to the New York Post, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy have told President Donald Trump’s administration that they would support $600 stimulus checks as a part of the next package.
McCarthy reportedly told Axios on Tuesday evening that both he and McConnell would support the $600 stimulus checks that would be included in the White House’s $916 billion compromise measure. McCarthy, McConnell, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows discussed this latest proposal on Tuesday afternoon. It should be noted that McConnell did not include stimulus checks when he laid out the framework for this proposal to the public the week prior. The House Minority Leader also told the outlet that GOP leaders and the White House believe that the final bill that they agree on should either include funding for state and local governments and liability protections, or neither.
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This will be great news for Democrats, as they have long been calling for funding for state and local governments amidst stimulus negotiations. In the past, Republicans have argued that the federal government shouldn’t come to the rescue of states with bad budgeting. Republicans have also said that they wish to move forward with a plan that includes liability protections for businesses that choose to open during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Although, Democrats have rejected that argument, as they believe that including this factor in the bill could potentially allow employers to endanger their employees. McCarthy said, “We won’t move state without liability. So they’re either in it together or we drop both.” He also shared that Trump agrees with that sentiment.
In addition to the White House’s $916 billion proposal, a bipartisan group of senators also unveiled a $908 billion stimulus plan. As the New York Post noted, that measure was led in part by Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah. Democrats such as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer voiced their support for this plan. However, shortly after the plan was unveiled, McConnell shared that he would not support it.
