Second Stimulus Check May Be Excluded in New, Smaller GOP Proposal

Amid failing negotiations for the next stimulus package, Senate Republicans are set to unveil a pared-down stimulus proposal on Tuesday. According to Forbes, their proposal will address a variety of topics including unemployment benefits and aid for small businesses. However, their plan may not include stimulus checks, despite the fact that Senate Republicans' previous stimulus proposal, the HEALS Act, called for another one-time $1,200 check to be sent out to eligible Americans.

The Senate Republicans' proposal may include unemployment benefits of $300 per week. This figure would be an increase from the $200 total that the HEALS Act called for. It would also be in line with the figure that President Donald Trump called for when he signed an array of executive orders and memos in early August that were made to extend economic relief programs. According to Politico, their proposal is also expected to call for more aid to small businesses by providing additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program. It would also call for more funding for health and education.

In light of the drama surrounding the United States Postal Service, Senate Republicans' plan also addressed the topic of funding for the organization. Their new proposal would include $10 billion in funding for the United States Postal Service, a figure which Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows agreed to in talks with Democratic lawmakers Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, and Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader. While the GOP's new plan addresses an array of stimulus-related topics, it reportedly does not make any mention of economic impact payments.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle seem to agree that Americans should receive another stimulus check amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Back in March, the White House and Congress agreed to a $2 trillion stimulus package that provided eligible Americans with a one-time $1,200 check (or $2,400 for couples filing a joint tax return). In July, Senate Republicans unveiled their stimulus proposal, the HEALS Act, which called for another economic impact payment of $1,200 for Americans. The HEALS Act was instantly met with criticism from both Republicans and Democrats. As a result, it has been a few weeks and Congress has still not made any headway regarding another stimulus package. But, given the new information on the GOP's pared-down plan, it seems like aid (minus economic impact payments) could be on the way soon.