Americans are waiting to find out when a second coronavirus relief stimulus check will happen, and President Donald Trump is now saying that “good things” are underway, regarding the plans. According to WKRN, U.S. lawmakers have been working on a passable bill that would allow another round of federal relief money. “We’ve made a lot of progress,” Trump reportedly said while in a meeting.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said that he plans to work with his fellow senators from the other side of the aisle in order to get a bill passed. “We can’t pass the bill in the Senate without the Democrats and we’re going to talk to them as well,” he stated. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has reportedly echoed this sentiment. Democrat leaders are hopeful that a fair compromise can be reached, but Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has made it clear that if they feel that their GOP colleagues are less willing to meet in the middle then they will block the efforts. “We will stand together again if we must,” Schumer said in a letter.
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Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on why gov’t must renew $600/week added unemployment expiring at end of July: “If we don’t renew it … millions more will sink back into poverty, lose their homes, get kicked out of their apts, and not be able to feed their families …” pic.twitter.com/NS0hEEnKy0
— The Recount (@therecount) July 21, 2020
While no major details about the next stimulus bill are official just yet, there has been a lot of speculation as to what may be included. The most pressing matter would certainly be the expiring unemployment benefits provided by the first bill, the CARES act. Currently, unemployment recipients who were laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been getting an extra $600 in weekly unemployment payments. According to Forbes, congressional Republicans have been resistant to extending this measure. The benefits are currently set to expire on July 31. Mnuchin has hinted that the new plan would likely cap the benefits at the amount each recipient earned at their previous job before pandemic caused them to be unemployed.
Additionally, the new bill could have a round of stimulus checks in a smaller amount. McConnell previously stated that, in his opinion, citizens earning less than $40,000 a year are the most impacted by the pandemic, and therefore should be the main priority of assistance. President Trump, however, has stated on record that he would like Americans to receive more money. “I support actually larger numbers than the Democrats, but it’s got to be done properly… I want the money getting to people to be larger so they can spend it.” At this time there is no official word on what the next amount would be, or who would qualify.
