(CNN) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Sunday night that leaders of both houses had reached an agreement on “a nearly $ 900 billion package” of much-needed relief for the covid-19 pandemic. , although Congress still faces a government shutdown deadline at midnight.
“A few moments ago, in consultation with our committees, the four leaders of the Senate and the House finalized an agreement,” McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, said in the full Senate. “There will be another major stimulus package for the American people.”
The exact details of what was in the bill and when Congress would vote were not immediately clear, and it is unknown if it will happen in time to avoid a government shutdown.
A late-night breakthrough Saturday to resolve a key dispute that delayed a stimulus package marked a major step toward a deal, but congressional leaders have tried to work out the final details of a deal and there are still some unfinished business. . As a result, it has taken much of Sunday to resolve the latest disagreements before finally releasing the text to the rest of Congress shortly before the voting takes place, attendees said Sunday.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi still wants a vote Sunday night, as does Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, but Republicans believe another interim measure will be needed to avoid a shutdown at midnight and they should vote on Monday.
The relevant jurisdictional commissions now finalize the text of the bill and obtain official cost estimates with the Congressional Budget Office, a process that takes time to develop.
McConnell said early Sunday that “it looks like we’re only a few hours away” from finalizing a deal, while Schumer said: “It appears that, barring a major mishap, the Senate and House will be able to vote on final legislation as soon as tonight”.
However, that is far from certain, and other prominent lawmakers have suggested the schedule could be delayed.
Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas told reporters he believes it is “doubtful” that the Senate will vote on a stimulus package on Sunday, and they will likely have to pass an interim bill known as an ongoing resolution to extend the deadline for government funding.
The amount of work still to be done and the looming midnight deadline increase the odds that a blanket relief deal will not be finalized and approved in time to avoid a shutdown tonight.
If completion of the bill is delayed Sunday, as many hope, Congress could be forced, for the fourth time since September, to pass an interim spending bill to avoid a government shutdown. It is possible, a source said, that they will have to pass a one- to two-day interim measure.
What could be in the stimulus package?
Lawmakers have also not yet seen the text of a $ 1.4 trillion overhead package that leaders are trying to push to fund the government until next September. The goal is to link the covid-19 aid bill to the massive omnibus package.
With the holidays and the end of the 116th Congress fast approaching, lawmakers face intense and growing pressure to finalize and pass what is expected to be a $ 900 billion relief deal with $ 300 a week in unemployment benefits. direct payments of $ 600 for individuals, $ 330 billion for small business loans, more than $ 80 billion for schools, and billions for vaccine distribution.
For now, the two sides are still back and forth on a handful of outstanding issues, including how private schools should be treated in the more than $ 80 billion in aid outlined for schools and education providers. Republicans had lobbied for $ 5 billion in aid for private schools, but Democrats have tried to reduce that to about $ 2.5 billion, according to a source with direct knowledge of the talks.
Senator Roy Blunt, a member of the Republican Party leadership, confirmed that how to “treat private schools” is one of the last problems to be solved.
Other details on the emerging proposal include unemployment benefits upgraded to $ 300 per week that would begin Dec. 27 and continue for about 11 more weeks, according to a source with knowledge of the discussions. That’s less than many Democrats wanted, but more than many Republicans were willing to support.
Also, direct payments would be capped at $ 600 per person for someone earning less than $ 75,000. The proposal would provide an additional $ 600 per person in the family, meaning a family of five could get $ 3,000 assuming they are below the required income threshold.
There has been a belated discussion about providing more money for restaurants and live venues, something that is supported by both parties.
The proposal is also expected to help provide assistance to farmers, increase money for the country’s food supply, increase money for food stamps, and provide more for nutrition assistance, while also providing additional funding for centers. community health workers help with mental health problems.
Congressional procedure could delay the passage
Even after a package is finalized, a number of procedural steps still need to be taken to clear the way for a vote in both houses, with the potential to further slow down the process.
Once the text is released, the House Rules Committee will have to consider the package, a meeting that could take several hours. Then, they will have to schedule a debate in the House and establish voting in the House.
The Senate is more complicated because it requires the consent of all 100 members to schedule a vote, and it is unclear if that will happen if any member is dissatisfied with the bill or the process. If they can’t get an agreement for a quick vote, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will be forced to take procedural steps to vote, a process that could take several days.
Congressional leaders have said for days that a deal is near, a promise that was reiterated last night after Democrats and Republicans reached an apparent resolution to a contentious partisan dispute over the role of the Federal Reserve to intervene in the American economy.
After tense negotiations over a provision pushed by Senator Pat Toomey to cut the role of the central bank’s emergency lending authority, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Pennsylvania Republican reached an agreement in principle. about the provision, his collaborators said. Now, the two sides will draft the legislative language to ensure that it reflects the broad lines of the agreement.
“We’re getting very, very close,” Schumer said as he left the Capitol, predicting that the House and Senate would vote to approve the package on Sunday, just hours before the government runs out of money at midnight. McConnell’s office also said a deal was in the offing.
But there are still a number of hurdles that congressional leaders will have to face now, from blocking the details of the package to pushing for a quick vote, to get relief on target.
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