FILE – In this April 23, 2020, file photo, President Donald Trump’s name appears on a stimulus check issued by the IRS to help combat the adverse economic effects of the COVID-19 outbreak in San Antonio. (AP Photo / Eric Gay, file)
OAN press room
UPDATED 1:00 PM PT – Wednesday July 22, 2020
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) Has expressed support for another round of stimulus checks in the upcoming coronavirus stimulus package. This week in the Senate, he declared that the American economy needs another shot of adrenaline to combat the financial damage suffered during the blockades.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been working to negotiate another round of stimulus bills in recent weeks. McConnell has confirmed that the four pillars of the next Republican bill will be jobs, health care, children in school, and liability protection.
He explained that the Senate builds on what worked in the last CARES Act, including offering more stimulus controls.
“Speaking of building on what worked in the CARES Act, we want another round of direct payments to help American families continue to drive our national return,” said the senator. “Helping to create more American jobs is an urgent moral priority.”
McConnell suggested that the Senate would lower the income cap for the next round of stimulus to cover Americans making less than $ 40,000 a year.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., Right, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California listen as President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting in the Oval Office of the House Blanca, on Monday July 20, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo / Evan Vucci)
He went on to say that small businesses will have another round of PPP financing to wait. According to McConnell, they will also be reimbursed for all protective equipment and tests performed on employees, as well as any structural changes they have made, such as the installation of sneeze guards.
The bill will include approximately $ 105 billion in aid to schools, which was higher than the previous projection of $ 70 billion offered by Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. Republicans are reportedly trying to make that money contingent on the reopening of schools in the fall.
In addition, McConnell has been pushing for a payroll tax cut, more funding for tests and vaccinations, and the inclusion of a clause that protects companies from lawsuits related to the virus, except in cases of gross negligence. It is not yet clear when lawmakers will reach an agreement on competing bills in the House and Senate.
House of Representatives minority leader Kevin McCarthy (Republican of California) believes that the Republican bill will likely not arrive until the first week of August. He said he expects Nancy Pelosi to delay the next package in an effort to include amendments from Democrats.
McConnell said he agrees with McCarthy to reach a deal next month, while other officials such as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin hope to close the deal on Friday of next week.
