Huge delay to $1,200 stimulus checks as deal may not be reached until OCTOBER because lawmakers have gone on recess
LAWMAKERS have gone on summer recess - prompting a huge slowdown to the proposed second round of $1,200 stimulus checks.
And now, a deal may not be reached until October because the Senate adjourned on Thursday and House members have left Washington, D.C. - without finalizing a package.
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“We will have our regular pro forma meetings through the end of the state work period," Senate Majority Leader said, according to .
“If the Speaker of the House and the minority leader of the Senate decide to finally let another package move forward, it would take bipartisan consent to meet for legislative business sooner than scheduled."
The Senate will get back to work on September 8 and The House of Representatives on September 14.
September 8 would likely be the earliest a stimulus deal would be made.
Members of Congress are needed to vote on a stimulus package in person.
Democrats and Republicans have not yet come to an agreement on a package because they've had difficulty seeing eye to eye on state and local funding, liability protection, unemployment benefits, and school funding.
When Republican Senator Pat Roberts was questioned by on Thursday about the possibility of a bill being passed before next month, he said: "An actual law?
"I don't know. Maybe that's too much to ask."
According to , Senator Roy Blunt suggested a pandemic relief legislation wouldn't happen until September 30.
The as the Senate left on Thursday for summer recess without a relief deal.
The decision to vacate comes after and failed to agree on certain terms of the relief package, meaning that the second round of is still pending approval.
The recess was technically supposed to begin earlier this week, but McConnell kept the chamber in session in a final attempt to get some sort of package passed.
With Democrats and Republicans still butting heads, Senators argued there was little reason to remain in DC with no progress being made, according to .
If Treasury Secretary and Chief of Staff Mark Meadows can reach an agreement with Congressional Democrats and schedule a vote, Senators will get at least 24 hours to return, according to The Hill.
Otherwise, the Senate will reconvene on September 8.
Both parties are reportedly on board with sending eligible another round of stimulus checks, similar to the ones sent in March as part of the CARES package.
The website predicts that if a deal is reached by August 21, checks will be sent out by September 2.
If a deal is passed the next Monday, on August 24, checks could be sent by the week of September 14.
Meanwhile, President because he doesn't want Americans voting by mail, according to an interview with Fox News.
said Thursday that he is blocking the $2trillion put forth by Democrats because it allots $25billion in emergency funding to the US Postal Service, which he said was "election money" for mail-in ballots.
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House Speaker and Democrats have proposed a $3trillion stimulus package under the HEROES Act, which the speaker said was bringing money to areas impacted most by the crisis.
The Speaker said she and are willing to negotiate to a $2trillion package so long as are , up from their $1trillion package.