"Skinny" Stimulus Bill: Senate Republicans will Vote this Week
"Skinny" stimulus bill is what the Senate Republicans will vote for as the Congress is still stuck in a deadlock.
According to reports, this week, without the Democrats, Senate Republicans are set to vote on "skinny" version of a bill. After weeks of failed negotiations in Congress, Americans are left without the second round of $1,200 stimulus checks because Congress is stuck in a deadlock over the relief package.
According to Axios, many Republicans expect their effort to fail, according to the outlet's sources, even though they will vote on a version of the bill. But they instead hope the vote will "change the conversation" and highlight the Americans' immediate needs, as per the Senate GOP.
Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader, said that he is skeptical Congress can reach a deal before November. McConnell expressed that the cooperative spirit in March and April has dissipated as they move closer to the election.
Trump Meets With Cabinet Members, Members Of Congress On Stimulus Payments WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 20: (L-R) Vice President Mike Pence, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows join President Donald Trump and Republican congressional leaders for a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House July 20, 2020 in Washington, DC. Trump, Mnuchin and the congressional leaders talked about a proposed new round of financial stimulus to help the economy during the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, Steve Mnuchin, Treasury Secretary, told Fox Business on Monday that he is working with Mark Meadows, the White House chief of Staff, and Mitch McConnell every day to come up with a new bill. Mnuchin said, "Hopefully, Mitch will enter new legislation next week."
Though Senator John Barrasso, Republican Wyoming Senator, confirmed to PBS News that the goal was pushed to a "skinny" COVID-19 relief package, it's not unclear what will be included in the new proposal at this time. The Negotiations between Congressional Republicans and Democrats stopped last month when both parties didn't agree on what to have in the second round of the stimulus package.
In May, House Democrats passed the $3 trillion HEROES Act, while Republicans counted with a $1 trillion HEALS Act over the summer. Congress has yet to deal with the relief package price though both parties agreed to move closer to a middle ground in negotiations.
On Monday, Mnuchin slammed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader, and said that they "just don't want to negotiate in good faith," according to The Sun. Mnuchin reiterated that Republicans and Democrats agreed on "many, many issues" that include the bill, but no package has been approved.
On the other hand, President Donald Trump said he is willing to sign a bill for 41.3 trillion, and Democrats agreed to drop the package's price to $2.2 trillion. However, both sides are thinking the other is not compromising enough. The negotiations drag on if the Americans could expect the second round of stimulus checks, which remains uncertain.
The HEROES Act and HEALS Act include another round of $1,200 stimulus checks for eligible citizens. Still, neither of the Act gets approval, so it's hard to say when the stimulus checks will be delivered or if there is a check to expect.
When the negotiations resume, Mnuchin predicts that the Senate Republicans may have a new package to bring to the table after the Senate's recess until next week. The question is if the bill will be approved for Democrats.
Mnuchin simply said that the bill would focus on "more money for kids and jobs," and did not give much information about the bill's inclusion. By October, Americans could start seeing money in their accounts if Congress moves quickly to approve a new relief package, and if the stimulus checks are included.
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