Second Stimulus Bill Rejected: Will You Still Receive a Direct Payment?

By Mary Anne R. Sep 10 2020, 23:09 PM EDT

Senate Democrats blocked the passage of the second stimulus bill in a procedural vote on Thursday. The second stimulus bill was rejected with a 52-47 votes.

This reduces the possibility of Congress passing a measure providing a financial relief to Americans weathering the COVID-19 pandemic.

Second Stimulus Bill

Senate Republicans proposed a second stimulus bill named as a "skinny" bill, which includes funding for jobless aid, liability protections for businesses, and school funding among other measures.

This also allows the U.S. Postal Service not to shoulder the previous loan set worth $10 billion from the earlier stimulus package.

"Today we're releasing a targeted proposal that focuses on several of the most urgent aspects of this crisis, the issues where bipartisanship should be especially possible," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said during his speech on the Senate floor on Tuesday.

An additional funding assistance worth $20 billion was also slated to be given for farmers, ranchers, and other producers. The bill, however, did not contain funding for a second round of direct payments or stimulus checks to Americans.

Many senators expressed skepticism that any movement would be done on a relief package before the election.

"Along with the pandemic COVID-19, we have a pandemic of politics. It's a sort of a dead end street, and very unfortunate, but it is what it is," Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) said in a report.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said that it appeared very unlikely more financial relief would be provided to Americans before November. Grassley noted that it looks like they do not want to get an agreement.

"And if they don't want to sit down and talk, I think they think they're going to have a political victory, but it's going to be a loss for the American people," he said in a report.

A Possibility of Second Stimulus

Many are expecting to get a financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is unclear when Congress and the White House might agree on a relief package that will be signed into law.

Congress is being pressured to pass a legislation that will prevent government shutdown by Oct. 1. Reports said that although the coronavirus aid package is separate, it is looking more likely that it will be tied in the government funding.

There is still a change that Congress and the White House will be able to enact another recovery bill that includes a second stimulus check. However, the odds of that happening are quickly diminishing.

Both political parties have shown an inclination to repeating direct payments. President Donald Trump has also expressed his favor of sending another round of stimulus checks.

COVID-19 Aid Packages

Democrats presented the HEROES Act in May. It passed in the House of Representatives but did not gain traction in the Senate floor.

The $3 trillion bill would have allowed a repeat $1,200 payment for eligible adults, among other considerations.

The $1 trillion package from Senate Republicans, known as the HEALS Act, provided a similar repeat of stimulus payments to Americans. It also includes eligibility for dependent children.

Democrats have criticized the HEALS Act for not providing enough aid, and negotiations eventually stopped as parties could not agree on the right amount of a new stimulus package.