Senators are expected to vote on Thursday over the new stimulus bill that Senator Mitch McConnell introduced on Tuesday after returning from the August recess.  

Capitol
(Photo : Reutersconnect)

McConnell, the Republican Senate Majority Leader, finally unveiled the details of the new targeted bill and said that he is optimistic that the Republican Senators would deliver strong support in the new relief package. 

After the failed talks between the top negotiators of the Republican and Democratic lawmakers, the Trump administration did not stop pushing for another relief aid that millions of Americans need amid the economic fallout the country experienced because of the global pandemic. 

After a series of talks and many proposals from the White House and the Republicans, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi continued to decline and reject the offer and asked for a bigger package. But when asked about the details of the amount, Pelosi cannot provide specific answers.

Even if the targeted bill passed in the House or Senate, it seems that Congress will play delaying tactics and will have it discussed after the election.

According to an Associated Press report, Democrats have indicated that they will shelve the Republican measure as insufficient and leave lawmakers at an impasse.

Meanwhile, Senator Richard Shelby, R-Ala., chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said: "Unless something broke through, it's not going to happen." He added that stalemate is politically risky for all sides as the election nears. 

Millions of Americans are waiting for the federal aid and financial support. This could mean that whoever among the lawmakers will not support the new stimulus or targeted bill, they will not have the support of the qualified voters in the country as well.

The proposed targeted bill includes the following:

  • Provide $105 billion to help schools reopen.
  • Enact a shield against lawsuits for businesses and others moving ahead to reopen.
  • Create a scaled-back $300-per-week supplemental jobless benefit.
  • Write off $10 billion in earlier debt at the U.S. Postal Service.
  • Set aside $31 billion for a coronavirus vaccine, $16 billion for virus testing, and $15 billion to help child care providers reopen.
  • Provide $20 billion for farmers.
  • Devote $258 billion for the second round of paycheck protection subsidies.

It can be observed that the second round of $1,200 direct stimulus payment is not included in the list because Trump wants to utilize the unspent $300 billion under the CARES Act. The said amount is more than enough for 160 million people who received the checks during the first round. 

If ever the bill will not be approved in Congress, the Trump administration has already said that they will find ways to deliver the relief aid to millions of Americans. The President might divert and use some unspent budget in other agencies and prioritized the stimulus checks. 

It can be remembered that Trump signed and issued an executive order last month that extended the unemployment benefits using the unspent budget of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

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