July 27, 2020
Congress will stay in session until a COVID-19 relief plan passes the Senate, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Sunday's Face the Nation, a broadcast show with newsmaker interviews.
Two months after the House passed a $3 trillion bill for Phase IV of the plan to shore up the finances of vulnerable Americans, the Senate was still sitting on the bill, only releasing trial balloons. This weekend, with enhanced unemployment benefits on the cusp of expiring, the Senate got serious about turning the House's bill into a $1 trillion bill. Here's what we know about the Senate's plan as of early Sunday evening:
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| Nancy Pelosi, here speaking to an audience that, unlike the Senate, will do what she asks. |
Two months after the House passed a $3 trillion bill for Phase IV of the plan to shore up the finances of vulnerable Americans, the Senate was still sitting on the bill, only releasing trial balloons. This weekend, with enhanced unemployment benefits on the cusp of expiring, the Senate got serious about turning the House's bill into a $1 trillion bill. Here's what we know about the Senate's plan as of early Sunday evening:
* "Many" individual Americans will receive $1200 in direct relief.
* The moratorium on evictions will be extended.
* The moratorium on evictions will be extended.
* The enhanced unemployment provisions of $600 per week will not be renewed.
The bill aimed to encourage people to stay home to dampen COVID-19's spread. The current White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, says that the time to keep people home has passed. Republicans particularly disliked seeing some people make more money from unemployment than they earned when they were working.
Treasury Department head Steve Mnuchin wants to have unemployment amount to 70 percent of the employees' original wage. Pelosi counters that figuring out the total via percentage of wages will muck up the distribution process. Meadows acknowledges the difficulty, but Republicans plan to move forward regardless.
* Liability protection for businesses? This evening, unknown.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been determined to include liability protection for businesses in the bill -- that is, to make sure that employees who get sick can't sue their employers.
Right now, "essential" employees, many of whom make low wages, must work because they are ineligible for unemployment if they quit.
Nancy Pelosi points out that businesses that can't be sued will have no incentive to minimize health risks.
About that Budget. The Congressional Budget Office announced on July 8 that the federal budget deficit was an estimated $2.7 trillion in the first nine months of fiscal 2020, which runs September 1 to August 31. That's $2.0 trillion more than in the same period last year. The federal budget for 2020 was $4.79 trillion.
What is most important to you about the Phase IV bill? What do you want to see included? What should be left out? Will this effort help keep the economy from collapse?
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been determined to include liability protection for businesses in the bill -- that is, to make sure that employees who get sick can't sue their employers.
Right now, "essential" employees, many of whom make low wages, must work because they are ineligible for unemployment if they quit.
Nancy Pelosi points out that businesses that can't be sued will have no incentive to minimize health risks.
About that Budget. The Congressional Budget Office announced on July 8 that the federal budget deficit was an estimated $2.7 trillion in the first nine months of fiscal 2020, which runs September 1 to August 31. That's $2.0 trillion more than in the same period last year. The federal budget for 2020 was $4.79 trillion.
What is most important to you about the Phase IV bill? What do you want to see included? What should be left out? Will this effort help keep the economy from collapse?
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