Senate leaders and moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin have struck a deal over emergency jobless benefits, breaking a nine-hour logjam that had stalled the party's showpiece $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill.
Senate leaders and moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin have struck a deal over emergency jobless benefits, breaking a nine-hour logjam that had stalled the party's showpiece $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill.
The Senate is now engaged in a marathon effort to take up President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill with a third stimulus check - it's just not yet clear exactly when that will take place.
The COVID relief bill heads to the Senate: What s in it for you?
But Biden and party leaders stood firm and will retain the $400 weekly emergency jobless benefits, which are paid on top of regular state payments. Moderates have wanted to trim those payments to $300 per week, with some saying the higher amount could discourage people from returning to their jobs.
On Tuesday, Biden took to Twitter to signal he wouldn t budge from his demand that lawmakers add a fresh $1,400 payment to the $600 that millions of individuals received from a December relief measure. That new installment comprises nearly a quarter of the overall bill s cost.
The COVID relief bill heads to the Senate: What s in it for you?
But Biden and party leaders stood firm and will retain the $400 weekly emergency jobless benefits, which are paid on top of regular state payments. Moderates have wanted to trim those payments to $300 per week, with some saying the higher amount could discourage people from returning to their jobs.
On Tuesday, Biden took to Twitter to signal he wouldn t budge from his demand that lawmakers add a fresh $1,400 payment to the $600 that millions of individuals received from a December relief measure. That new installment comprises nearly a quarter of the overall bill s cost.