Relief Negotiations Stall After " Skinny " GOP Proposal Fails in Senate

A pared-down COVID-19 relief package introduced by Senate Republicans failed to move forward in the Senate after failing to capture the 60 votes needed to close debate. The chamber voted 52-47 - along party lines. The “skinny” proposal was introduced on September 8, after relief negotiations between Democratic leadership and the Trump Administration have been stalled for weeks as a result of disagreement over the size of the package. Republicans in the Senate had introduced a $1 trillion package, entitled the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection and Schools Act (HEALS Act) in late July. The House passed a broader $3 trillion measure - the Heroes Act - in May. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was pushing for the White House to increase its offer for the package from $1 trillion to $2.2 trillion. The latest relief proposal from Senate Republicans, estimated to cost $500 billion - about half of the HEALS Act - included additional funds for the Paycheck Protection Program; funds for schools and testing; liability protections for schools and businesses; and $300 in increased weekly federal unemployment benefits through December 27, 2020. The bill included provisions that the Democrats did not support, including liability protections for businesses. “The cynical Republican bill was emaciated, inadequate, and designed to fail. Americans need help now, and Congress needs to respond in a way that meets the nation’s very real and urgent needs,&#...
Source: Public Policy Reports - Category: Biology Authors: Source Type: news