stimulus Archives - Virus Reports

Members of the House Problem Solvers Caucus plan to map out a recovery package they hope can push top Democrats and White House officials back to the negotiating table.

Credit…Stefani Reynolds for The New York Times

Sept. 15, 2020, 6:00 a.m. ET

A bipartisan group of 50 centrist lawmakers plans on Tuesday to present a $1.5 trillion plan to prop up the coronavirus-ravaged economy, making a last-ditch attempt to broach a compromise in hopes of breaking a stalemate in stimulus talks before November’s elections.

The proposal faces long odds amid partisan divisions over what should be included in such a package, and members of the group — which calls itself the House Problem Solvers Caucus — concede privately that their framework stands little chance of becoming law. But the decision to offer it up publicly reflects frustration among rank-and-file lawmakers in both parties at the failure by their leaders to agree to another round of pandemic aid, and a reluctance to return home weeks before Election Day without cementing such help.

Aiming for a middle ground between Republican and Democratic positions, the proposal includes measures that enjoy bipartisan support, like reviving the popular Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses and direct checks of $1,200 or more for American taxpayers, as well as more contentious ones like new legal rights and protections for workers and their employers.

But the bulk of its proposed spending would fall somewhere in the middle of what the two parties have championed. The measure would reinstate lapsed federal jobless aid at $450 per week for eight weeks, then replace up to $600 weekly in lost wages for an additional five weeks. That is more than Republicans wanted, but less than the flat, $600-a-week benefit that lapsed at the end of July, which Democrats have insisted must be extended in full. And the proposal would send $500 billion to strapped state and local governments, less than the nearly $1 trillion Democrats included in their $3.4 trillion stimulus plan that passed the House in May, but roughly double what the White House has signaled it could support.

The coalition proposing the measure is led by Representatives Josh Gottheimer, Democrat of New Jersey, and Tom Reed, Republican of New York. In unveiling it, the group is seeking to send a signal to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the lead White House negotiators — Mark Meadows, the chief of staff, and Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary — that there is ample common ground to be found in talks that have been dormant for weeks.

But reviving the talks is a tall order. Negotiations all but broke down in August after a brief but intense round of discussions between Democrats and White House officials to reconcile vast differences in priorities and cost, principally over money for states and those out of work. The primary negotiators have all but given up on passing something into law before the election, and are now focused on agreeing to a stopgap spending measure to keep the government funded through the fall.

In the meantime, millions of jobless Americans are beginning to exhaust traditional unemployment aid that has kept them afloat and stimulated the economy, and many small businesses, including restaurants, have been left to contend with a steep drop in revenue and coming cold weather on their own.

Members of the Problem Solvers Caucus, which is composed of moderate members and has few significant policy achievements to its name, set out to draft their own proposal in early August as they, like most other lawmakers in the House, were frozen out of the talks.

In addition to Mr. Gottheimer and Mr. Reed, Representatives Dean Phillips, Democrat of Minnesota, and Dusty Johnson, Republican of South Dakota, helped write the framework, which took about six weeks to draft.

Though the price tag falls well below that of the $2.2 trillion stimulus law Congress unanimously passed in March, or House Democrats’ $3.4 trillion bill, its effects would be far-reaching.

In addition to money for state and local governments and for schools, lawmakers included $100 billion for testing, contact tracing and other health initiatives to try to increase the nation’s testing capacity to three million tests a day. There is money for expanding rural and urban broadband, supporting agricultural workers and extending the 2020 census to ensure an accurate count.

The bill would allocate $25 billion for mortgage and rental assistance, $130 billion for schools and $15 billion for the beleaguered Postal Service, as well as separate funds to administer the 2020 elections during a health crisis and for food assistance programs.

The group also proposed building in automatic triggers that would extend jobless aid and provide for another round of stimulus checks if the economy remains hobbled in January, potentially driving up the measure’s cost.

Editors, USA TODAY
Published 1:24 a.m. ET Sept. 8, 2020

Senate likely to take up coronavirus stimulus bill

The GOP-controlled Senate is expected to take up a new coronavirus stimulus bill this week to help Americans and businesses weathering the coronavirus pandemic, though it faces likely opposition in the Democratic-led House. Congress has remained deadlocked on stimulus negotiations for weeks as lawmakers struggle to agree on a number of key sticking points for a second deal, including boosting unemployment. The COVID-19 outbreak has caused a financial crisis unlike any other Americans have experienced, putting millions out of work, hobbling businesses and leaving local governments scraping for money. Many relief programs that Congress approved in the spring have since dried up, putting pressure on the House and Senate to come up with a new round of stimulus funding. But weeks of negotiations failed to result in a deal.

Americans are sitting on record cash savings amid the pandemic and an uncertain economy
Another stimulus check may not come until October, if it comes at all

The new GOP plan includes another check for Americans and continued help for the unemployed.

USA TODAY

Michael Cohen’s tell-all Trump book drops

Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer and “fixer,” is releasing his tell-all memoir about the president Tuesday. In the book, “Disloyal: A Memoir: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump,” Cohen describes Trump as a “mob boss” who “wouldn’t mind if I was dead.” In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about plans to build a Trump Tower in Russia and, in a separate case, to coordinating hush money payoffs to two women who claimed to have had sex with Trump before he was elected. Cohen was sentenced to three years in federal prison and was recently released because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He says he started writing the memoir “longhand on a yellow legal pad” from his upstate New York prison.

‘He can’t be trusted’: Michael Cohen denounces Trump in ads airing during the Republican National Convention.

President Donald Trump’s former lawyer and longtime fixer Michael Cohen will be released from federal prison to serve the remainder of his sentence in home confinement because of the coronavirus pandemic. (April 17)

AP Domestic

California sets wildfire record as scorching continues

As California struggles with a record-breaking fire season, a utility company warned customers in the state that power might be cut Tuesday due to fire danger. Intense heat, parched conditions and high winds fueled record-shattering wildfires and strained the electrical grid across much of California on Monday, forcing the Forest Service to close eight national forests. At least one person died, said Fresno Battalion Chief Tony Escobedo. More than 12,000 lightning strikes in the past three weeks have sparked almost two dozen major fires, according to Cal Fire. The fires have burned tens of thousands of acres, destroyed homes and caused thousands of residents to flee. The days ahead look equally grim. Officials say September and October are historically the worst fire months.

Fire officials: El Dorado blaze sparked during gender reveal party

Authorities say around 150 people were trapped and 10 were injured at a Mammoth Pool campground after flames blocked the only road out of the area.

Wochit

Global Entry applicants can complete enrollment interviews

Global Entry applicants can complete their enrollment interviews starting Tuesday, resuming a process that has been on pause since March because of the coronavirus pandemic. Global Entry allows U.S. travelers to use kiosks at major airports nationwide and globally that allow them to bypass lines with no paperwork and reduced wait times. Changes that applicants may encounter at reopened enrollment centers includes staggered or reduced appointments, the elimination of sign-in sheets, plexiglass barriers and measures to encourage social distancing. Because the Canadian and Mexican borders remain closed to nonessential travel, enrollment for the NEXUS and FAST programs remain suspended.

Traveling during coronavirus: How to get through airport security faster – and safer.
Do you need a COVID-19 test if you plan to travel? Do you still need to quarantine? What to know about the confusing rules.

Looking to get global entry? This is how you get an interview on arrival.

Buzz60

McDonald’s to serve Travis Scott Meal

McDonald’s will serve up its first celebrity meal in nearly 30 years with the founder of Cactus Jack Records. Starting Tuesday and through Oct. 4, the fast food giant will sell a “Travis Scott Meal” at participating restaurants nationwide. “Travis is a true McDonald’s fan having grown up visiting our restaurants in Houston, not to mention one of the biggest musical acts and cultural icons in the world,” said McDonald’s U.S. Chief Marketing Officer Morgan Flatley. The $6 collab meal includes the Quarter Pounder with Cheese, bacon and lettuce, a medium order of fries with BBQ sauce and a Sprite. It will be available to order in-restaurant, for carry-out, at the Drive Thru and with the McDonald’s app.

Goodbye Taco Bell Mexican Pizza: Taco Bell is removing Mexican Pizza and shredded chicken from its menu.
Wendy’s Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger: Wendy’s brings back pretzel buns for new cheeseburger with beer cheese.

McDonald’s is permanently closing 200 of its 14,000 U.S. locations this year. Company officials also said the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting global sales.

USA TODAY

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Senate likely to take up coronavirus stimulus bill

Michael Cohen’s tell-all Trump book drops

California sets wildfire record as scorching continues

Global Entry applicants can complete enrollment interviews

McDonald’s to serve Travis Scott Meal

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How The Next Stimulus Check Is The Same

The Base Amount of the Check

The Tax Year Used for Income Determination

The Tax Structure of the Check

It Is Protected Against Federal or State Debts

How The Next Stimulus Check Is The Different

Expanded Definition of a Dependent

Deceased & Incarcerated Explicitly Excluded

It is Protected Against Creditors & Debt Collectors

How The Next Stimulus Check Differs from Heroes Act

Additional Resources

1. Will there be a second stimulus payment?

2. How much will the second stimulus payment be?

3. What are the income requirements for eligibility for a second stimulus payment?

4. Will the $600 per week federal supplemental benefit for laid off employees be extended?

5. Will independent contractors, freelancers, and gig workers continue to receive the extra $600 a week in benefits?

6. Will the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) be extended or expanded?

7. Will the new stimulus package include a payroll tax cut?

8. Will there be any new student loan forgiveness provisions in the next stimulus package?

9. Will there be a “return-to-work” bonus for employees?

10. Will there be aid for states and cities in the new stimulus package?

11. Will there be liability protection for litigation arising from the pandemic?

12. Will renters living in houses with federally backed mortgages still be protected from evictions for not paying rent?

13. Will there be funds allocated for testing of Covid-19?

14. Will there be funds allocated for schools?

15. When will a new stimulus bill be passed into law and become effective?