WASHINGTON - Despite months of congressional inaction regarding curbing the economic damage from the outbreak, Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, rejected a proposed bipartisan coronavirus stimulus package on Tuesday.
McConnell, a Republican who has supported around $500 billion in new aid spending, shared that he wants to pass what he called a targeted relief bill this year.
The Kentucky Republican also mentioned that he spoke to officials from the White House regarding what President Donald Trump would sign into law.
McConnell also plans to offer potential solutions to GOP senators and get their feedback.
The Republican Senator shared with the reporters that they do not have time to waste in response to the roughly $908 billion plan, which is put together by bipartisan members of the GOP-controlled Senate and Democratic-held House of Representatives, Reuters reported.
McConnell shared that a must-pass spending bill and pandemic relief provisions will likely come in one package, as Congress needs to approve funding legislation by December 11 to avoid a government shutdown.
Bipartisan relief bill's framework, which was released on Tuesday, includes $288 billion in small business aid such as Paycheck Protection Program loans, state and local government relief of $160 billion, and $180 billion to fund a $300 per week supplemental unemployment benefit through the month of March.
It would also put $16 billion into vaccine distribution, contact tracing, and testing. Put $45 billion into transportation and funnel $82 billion into education. It would allocate funds for rental assistance, broadband, and child care.
The said proposal would not involve another direct payment to the majority of Americans. Still, it would offer temporary federal protection from coronavirus-related lawsuits, which is a provision Democrats have opposed while states are still determining their laws.
Mark Warner, the Democratic Senator of Virginia, who is also a member of the congressional group that has discussed a new relief plan, earlier called it an 'interim package' to provide support until Joe Biden takes office next year in January.
Warner also shared to CNBC on Tuesday that if there is one thing that he hears uniformly, it is the fact that Congress does not leave town for the holidays, leaving the nation and its economy adrift with all these initial CARES Act programs running out.
Before the year ends, it is still unclear if lawmakers can craft a plan that can get through both chambers of Congress, as many of the programs will be expiring soon.
Democrats have opposed liability protections and started to push for a $600 support weekly as a supplemental jobless benefit, while the GOP contradicts the local aid and the new state, Fox News reported.
It can be noted that GOP and Democrat lawmakers have been going back and forth on a second wave of the coronavirus relief bill. However, both parties have struggled to agree on several details of the stimulus package whoch could ease the economic pressure as well as the burden of every American.
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