Bipartisan negotiators working on a $908 billion pandemic relief package are planning to unveil finer details of their proposal on Monday, according to Bloomberg. The negotiators seek to wither differences and satisfy enough Republicans and Democrats to secure passage of the aid before Congress breaks for the year.
- The bipartisan negotiators are seeking common ground by including priority areas that both sides can agree on-Tom Reed, Republican representative.
- The pandemic relief bill will be attached to an omnibus government or a funding bill covering appropriations into 2021.
- The lawmakers are considering extending a stopgap that expires on December 11 for another week, giving Congress until December 18 to finalize the appropriations and the coronavirus assistance package.
- Some lawmakers have expressed concerns about missing elements and items they wanted excluded from the relief package.
- The 2021 spending legislation also faces obstacles, including Trump’s demand for border-wall financing.
- There is also a dispute over whether $12.5 billion in Veterans Affairs health funding should be allowed as an emergency above the budget cap.
- Senator Bernie Sanders said he would oppose the compromise relief plan since it lacked $1,200 individual stimulus checks, which President-elect Joe Biden wanted included.
- The relief package sparked optimism last week when it won endorsement by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer, and several Republican senators.
- Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy has expressed confidence that President Donald Trump and Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnel will endorse the relief bill.
U.S stocks are currently declining. SPY is down 0.41% on premarket, QQQ: NASDAQ is down 0.10% on premarket
