Congressional leaders reached agreement on Sunday evening on a $900 billion stimulus package that would provide direct payments and jobless aid to struggling Americans and badly needed funds for small businesses, hospitals, schools and vaccine distribution, overcoming months of stalemate on a measure intended to bolster the pandemic-battered economy.
The House could vote as early as Monday on the final spending package, and the Senate was expected to follow shortly afterward. Afterwards, it will go to the President for his signature to be signed into law.
Although text was not immediately available, the agreement was expected to provide stimulus payments of $600 to American adults and children and revive supplemental federal unemployment benefits at $300 per week — half the level of aid delivered by the $2.2 trillion stimulus law enacted in March, as the coronavirus pandemic’s devastating health and economic impact was just coming into focus.
Here is what is in the latest stimulus proposal according to our reports from earlier in the week.
📌 This is developing news and will be updated in real-time as news unfolds tonight and tomorrow. Download the Skip App to get faster updates.
Monday December 21 11:50pm EST
Congress has passed the stimulus relief bill. The House voted in favor earlier this evening and the Senate just had their vote to pass this bill. Now it goes to the President for his signature.
Sunday December 20 6:30pm EST
Congressional leaders reached agreement on Sunday on a $900 billion stimulus package that would provide direct payments and jobless aid to struggling Americans and badly needed funds for small businesses, hospitals, schools and vaccine distribution, overcoming months of stalemate on a measure intended to bolster the pandemic-battered economy.
12:30am EST Update
Impasse broken and vote expected today: Lawmakers are on the brink of agreement on a $900 billion compromise relief bill after breaking through an impasse late Saturday night, with votes on final legislation expected to unfold as early as Sunday afternoon and very likely just hours before the government is set to run out of funding.
Senator Patrick J. Toomey, Republican of Pennsylvania, agreed Saturday night to narrow his effort to rein in the Federal Reserve and accepted an offer put forward by Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the minority leader, according to three aides familiar with the discussion. All three aides, speaking on the condition of anonymity, noted that the precise language was still being finalized.
Saturday December 19 8:05pm EST Update
With less than 36 hours to strike an elusive agreement on a $900 billion stimulus package and prevent a lapse in government funding, U.S. lawmakers and aides on Saturday worked feverishly to finalize the details on how to prop up the nation’s shuddering economy and send billions of dollars to distribute vaccines and support struggling American families and businesses.
Negotiators are also haggling over the final details of provisions, including who should be eligible for the $600 direct payments, tax extenders and the length of the enhanced and extended unemployment benefits. Although negotiators are coalescing around a $300 supplemental benefit — half the benefit established in the original $2.2 trillion stimulus law — it is unclear how long the benefits would run, and whether they would to taper to an end. Democrats are pushing for a hard cliff to end the benefits, in part to give lawmakers a deadline to return to the negotiating table.
7:10pm EST Update
Congress has now averted a government shutdown by passing a stop-gap bill.
The Senate has passed a two-day continuing resolution to keep the government funded as Covid relief negotiations continue. The resolution passed by voice vote.
The two-day continuing resolution was passed by the House earlier Friday evening.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Friday in a floor speech that “as of right now we have not yet reached a final agreement, regretfully."
"I believe all sides feel we're making good progress on a major relief bill… But, alas, we are not there yet. But, alas, we are not there yet. Given that our urgent task is to pass a stopgap government funding measure, there’s no reason why the federal government funding should lapse while we hammer out our remaining difference," he said,
6:30pm EST Update
The US House of Representatives has passed a two-day continuing resolution to keep the government funded after midnight.
The measure will now go to the Senate and requires the consent of all 100 senators tonight.
5:30pm EST Update
The US House of Representatives is voting right now on a continuing resolution to keep the government funded after midnight.
While it is expected to pass in the House, the measure also requires the consent of all 100 senators tonight, which is in doubt.
4:30pm EST Update
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is looking at a two-day stopgap to keep the government open past midnight tonight, according to a source who has seen the message sent to Senate offices. The leader's office is now checking with senators to see if anyone will object to an effort to quickly pass it on the floor tonight.
This means that a deal has not been finalized so this is a last ditch effort to keep the government open over the weekend and the negotiations continuing.
4:10pm EST Update
Republican Whip Sen. John Thune was downbeat about a Covid relief deal being announced today, and said that passing a continuing resolution ahead of the funding deadline at midnight “could prove to be a pretty heavy lift.”
When asked if that means we’re headed for a shutdown, Thune replied, “That would be the likely conclusion,” but he’s still “hoping” they can find a way to avoid it.
3pm EST Update
It's 3 p.m. EST — which means there are just nine hours left until the government runs out of money. With no quick resolution in sight, lawmakers are gearing up to work through the weekend.
Relief and the shutdown deadline are tied together since leaders want to tie the relief deal to a $1.4 trillion funding bill to keep the government open through next September.
2:30pm EST Update
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke last hour in an effort to close out the outstanding issues over the Covid-19 relief package.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said on the floor that the House would be in recess for the next few hours to get a "clearer picture of where we are."
He told CNN that there might be a vote tonight and will make a decision at 5 p.m. on whether they'll have a continuing resolution.
📌 This is developing news and will be updated in real-time as news unfolds. Download the Skip App to get faster updates.