Stimulus negotiations took a new turn today as lawmakers continue to work to pass a relief bill this week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is now in support of direct stimulus payments to individuals and is working to get other Republicans on board. Lawmakers will likely be working throughout the evening to negotiate a bill to pass by the end of the week, but a deal is within reach. Here’s what you need to know as of Wednesday evening.

Why is McConnell Supporting Individual Stimulus Checks?

McConnell has thrown his support behind individual stimulus payments in an attempt to convince voters to support Republicans in the two Georgia Senate runoff races in January, which will determine which party is in control of the Senate. As of right now, Democrats are ahead in both races, although they remain tight. Early voting began Monday in Georgia. Democrat Jon Ossoff is leading against Republican David Perdue by 0.4 points, and Republican Kelly Loeffler has fallen behind Democrat Raphael Warnock by 1 point.

McConnell has said that the GOP is getting “hammered” in the runoffs, and hopes that individual stimulus checks will boost Republicans’ chances of holding onto the senate (and his own seat as Senate Majority Leader).

How Much Will the Stimulus Payments Be?

The next round of stimulus payments will be smaller than the first. The first round of stimulus checks were for $1200, and lawmakers are currently discussing payments of between $600 and $700 per person. Still, for many struggling Americans, even smaller individual payments would bring much-needed relief.

Has Anything Been Removed from the Bill?

The bill isn’t final yet, but in order to reach an agreement lawmakers have removed the two most contentious pieces of the legislation: dedicated funding for local governments, one of Democrats' main requests, and coronavirus liability protections for business owners, one of Republicans' main requests. Lawmakers are hopeful that the bill will be easier to pass without these two issues included.

This is a developing story, and we will update this post as we know more. You can also check out our YouTube video on it below, and if you haven’t yet, be sure to download our app to get the latest updates on stimulus news.