Republicans in both houses of Congress plan to introduce a novel coronavirus relief package later in July with a focus on helping small businesses and a second round of payments to households, US House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters on Thursday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd July, 2020) Republicans in both houses of Congress plan to introduce a novel coronavirus relief package later in July with a focus on helping small businesses and a second round of payments to households, US House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters on Thursday.
"I've been meeting with [Senate] Leader [Mitch] McConnell. We're looking to have a plan by the end of the month," McCarthy said.
The plan will include liability protection for small businesses, additional funding for the popular Paycheck Protection Program from an earlier relief package, which funds continued paychecks for furloughed workers, McCarthy said.
In addition, the plan will likely include a second round of direct payments to households and money for daycare centers and school to reopen, McCarthy added.
Calls for a second major relief package to follow the bipartisan $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) approved in March have been hobbled by partisan bickering.
The Republican-led Senate refused to take up a $3 trillion plan approved by the House of Representative in May because the package was approved exclusively by Democrats with no input from Republicans.
The Democratic bill, called the Heroes Act, was approved by a vote of 208-199 despite opposition from Republicans and some moderate Democrats.
