After the House of Representatives delayed a vote on the HEROES Act 2.0, a new stimulus bill unveiled this week, when can the American people expect the vote to take place? According to Democratic lawmakers and aides, and as reported by numerous outlets earlier this week, the vote had initially been scheduled to occur Wednesday in the scenario that a last-minute agreement with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was not reached. However, despite a deal having not yet been struck, that vote was pushed back.
That vote will now take place on Thursday, CNN reports, citing a Democratic leadership aide. Should the vote go as planned, the bill is almost guaranteed to pass the House, just as its predecessor did in a vote of 208-199 in May. It will, however, likely be met with opposition in the Senate, where it is unlikely to even make it to the Senate floor for a vote.
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According to the outlet, that initial vote had been delayed in order to allow “more time for bipartisan negotiations” between Mnuchin and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The two, along with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, had initially entered negotiations in late July after the GOP introduced the HEALS Act, though by early August, those discussions collapsed as the two sides became embattled in differences of opinions regarding a wide range of topics. Tides seemed to turn this month, however, with both Pelosi and Mnuchin having indicated in recent days that they were willing to resume negotiations. Pelosi even stated that she was optimistic they would be able to find “common ground.”
After two months of little to no headway, Pelosi and Mnuchin finally met in person to resume those discussions Wednesday. Speaking to reporters as he left the Capitol, the Treasury secretary said the sides “made a lot of progress over the last few days,” CNBC reports. He added that while they “still don’t have an agreement” and they still “have more work to do,” they are “going to see where we end up.”
CNN reports that sources briefed on those discussions said that “reaching an agreement with the backing of Senate GOP leaders and the White House remains a tall order.” The two sides have managed to narrow the gap in their differences, including the topline cost of a final package. Mnuchin has claimed that President Donald Trump has instructed him and Meadows to significantly increase the amount of money in a White House proposal, and the Democrats’ own proposal came down more than $1 trillion from the initial HEROES Act. Mnuchin also indicated that he and Pelosi would resume their talks Thursday, during which there would be a chance for significant progress to be made.
