Democratic congressional leaders are looking to approve a second stimulus check as part of the next coronavirus relief bill, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday (Dec. 16).
The group, comprised of 17 Democrats, sent a letter to Congressional leaders asking them to include $2,000 payments in the next coronavirus relief package, as well as six months of enhanced unemployment benefits, sources told WSJ.
The lawmakers signing the letter include Ro Khanna and Katie Porter of California; Pramila Jayapal of Washington; Ilhan Omar of Minnesota; Jamie Raskin of Maryland; and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.
It is anticipated that the package will exclude the controversial issues — funding for state and local governments and liability protections for businesses and other entities operating during the pandemic — the sources told WSJ.
According to CNBC, the new $748 billion, intended to be leaner, is a little fatter than what Mitch McConnell first proposed last week.
Lawmakers have been at an impasse over the next stimulus bill. Split into two proposals, the first proposal was $748 billion and included money for small business loans, jobless benefits and vaccine distribution. The second allotment of $160 billion would be earmarked for state and local aid.
A $908 billion bill proposed on Monday (Dec. 14) lacks a provision for new individual checks. The $1,200 checks distributed earlier were a cornerstone of the CARES Act passed in March.
The new relief bill triggered a round of discussions with lawmakers from both parties. As noted by PYMNTS, the first $748 billion proposal “would include money for small business loans, jobless benefits and vaccine distribution.”
