Most Americans are prioritizing yet another stimulus check – not liability guarantees – in a new bill.
While Congress still struggles to come together on a stimulus package, support for making one has only grown: New poll from Vox and Data for Progress says 81% of likely voters would like to see lawmakers approve another bill before the end of the year. This is an increase from 67% of people who asked Congress to approve more stimulus measures ahead of the election in an October Vox / DFP poll.
At this time, it’s unclear whether lawmakers will reach a deal this month. While Republicans and Democrats both support several key measures, including funding schools, distributing vaccines and helping small businesses, there are still significant delays in including liability protections. and public and local funds.
Meanwhile, Americans continue to manage the severe economic fallout from the pandemic. In the Vox / DFP poll, one in five respondents said they have applied for unemployment insurance since the start of the pandemic, about three in ten have requested SNAP food assistance or gone to a food bank, and one in five had difficulty with at least one rent or mortgage payment. This poll was conducted among 1,080 probable voters from December 4 to 6 and has a margin of error of 3 points.
Wider economic data also reflects the urgent need for relief. According to the latest figures from the Department of Labor, about 19 million people currently receive unemployment insurance. And an analysis from the Aspen Institute indicates that nearly 40 million people could be deported if lawmakers or federal agencies do not take additional action in the coming weeks.
Democratic and Republican lawmakers have said they would like to get a new stimulus bill approved before the end of the year. As this survey and many other metrics show, the stakes are too high to go unanswered.
Lots of people want to see another stimulus check – and a lot less care about liability protections
The main stimulus provision that voters are most interested in is another round of stimulus checks: 75% of survey respondents said this is what they would like to prioritize in another package.
Food aid, expanding unemployment insurance, money for coronavirus tests and support for small businesses are other areas highlighted by respondents. At least half of those surveyed said these provisions were important to them.
Liability protection for businesses – which has been a major issue for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and a permanent sticking point in negotiations – was not seen as vital, however. Only 23% of people indicated it as a priority for them. Public and local aid, which was another point of contention, was also less popular, although it was slightly more supported, with 31 percent of respondents citing it as a priority.
Lawmakers are still at a stalemate on what comes next: The White House offered a $ 916 billion proposal that Democrats rejected for failing to fund improved unemployment insurance, and Republican leaders have avoided supporting a $ 908 billion Senate bipartisan plan.
Who is to blame?
The question of who exactly is responsible for the stalemate is an interesting one.
The Vox / DFP poll reveals that both sides are believed to be responsible for the stimulus delays, although a slightly higher proportion of people view Democrats as being at fault. This might come as a surprise to Democrats, who have been asking for more help since the spring. Since March, House Democrats have passed two versions of the HEROES law, which have not been considered in the upper house at all. Senate Republicans, meanwhile, tried to push forward their own narrower bills, which Democrats opposed.
Pressure on both sides has intensified in recent months, however, especially when talks between House of Commons Speaker Nancy Pelosi and White House Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin collapsed this fall. Pelosi rejected a $ 1.8 trillion offer from Mnuchin in October over disagreements over the approach of several provisions, including state and local support as well as unemployment insurance. McConnell at the time had signaled that he was also not interested in putting such a bulky package on the floor.
In the recent Vox / DFP poll, 31% of likely voters believe Republicans are responsible for the lack of stimulus, while 38% believe Democrats are. Thirty-two percent of people said they saw Senate Republicans, led by McConnell, as specifically responsible for the delays, while 43% said the same of House Democrats, led by Pelosi.
Congress is expected to leave for the year in just over a week, but House lawmakers have stressed they could continue working after Christmas if they are unable to reach a deal by now the. “It’s an agreement that must come together. We have no choice now. It’s one of those things to do, ”Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) also said.
–
