Second Stimulus Check: Will the New Stimulus Package Pass in Time?

Senate Republicans are expected to reveal the CARES 2 Act on Monday, officially opening up the negotiation stage as the next stimulus package makes its way through the House and the Senate, but with Republicans and Democrats holding vastly different opinions on what should and should not be included in the bill, will it be passed in time of the next recess? Although Congress returned to Capitol Hill on July 20 following their first summer recess, they are scheduled to enter a second recess after Aug. 7, meaning that there will be a tight time frame of just two weeks for the bill to not only complete the negotiation stage, but also pass through both bodies of Congress.

The bill was initially set to be unveiled on July 23, though the GOP confirmed that it would be delayed due to the Trump administration requesting “additional time to review the fine details.” On Monday, however, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said that it “remains unclear whether they will release their plan today,” suggesting that the bill may undergo further delays, thus threatening the chance that it could be passed in time.

Although there are multiple things in the GOP’s stimulus proposal that will be backed by their Democratic counterparts, there are other things that are almost promised to spark tense negotiations. As the hours ticked by on Monday in anticipation of the reveal, numerous Democrats took to social media to criticize some of the things lacking in the proposal, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tweeting that the bill is “woefully inadequate” and lacks “rental assistance, hazard pay for essential workers, aid to state, local, and tribal governments, or investments in communities of color.” Meanwhile, all of those things in mind, Pelosi, in a separate tweet, called on “GOP congressional leaders & the President’s team to join Leader Schumer & me within a half an hour of releasing their plan today to negotiate.”

In a statement, she cast doubt that the bill would be unveiled Monday, citing Republican’s weeks-long delay in bringing forth a proposal. She also voiced the threat that “time is running out” to pass legislation in time for the millions of Americans currently in need. She did, however, spark hope that lawmakers will take action, stating, “Congress cannot go home without an agreement.”

Should the bill be passed by that Aug. 7 date, it is likely that the second round of stimulus checks would begin going out to the American people later in August. Numerous members of Congress have stated their desire to come to an agreement within that time frame. However, if that deadline is missed, the bill would not be taken up in Congress until Sept. 8, when members reconvene. This means that any aid included in the bill would not be made available for possibly two months or more, threatening current measurements put in place under the CARES Act that are reaching their expiration dates.