A bipartisan group of congressmen presented on Tuesday a new
economic stimulus plan of 1.5 trillion dollars
in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, which includes
a new round of checks for families
, after the White House and the Democratic Party have not reached a agreement after more than a month of negotiations.
These 50 Republican and Democratic members of the House of Representatives, which call themselves the
Problem Solvers Caucus (
or Group of Resolvers), have been working on this economic proposal for the past six weeks.
The plan, dubbed the
March Toward Common Ground,
includes
a new round of checks for $ 1,200 for families
;
and $ 500 billion to state and local governments for weekly unemployment benefits, and small business and rent assistance.
If approved, the measure would extend beyond the start date of the new presidential term in January.
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The first federal aid plan approved in March set a weekly subsidy of $ 600 for the millions of Americans who lost their jobs to the coronavirus.
That help ended last July.
The Democratic proposal includes a benefit of the same amount, while the Republicans wanted to cut it in half.
In its proposal,
the bipartisan caucus sets the payment of $ 450 for eight weeks
, which could then increase to a maximum of $ 600 for five weeks.
The presentation of the proposal occurs just before Congress resumes its activities after the summer recess.
"We have been in contact with our leaders ... and none of us want to go anywhere before we help Americans," said Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer.
Negotiations for the new financial aid package stall again
Aug. 8, 202002: 10
"We have informed the White House of our negotiations, we have a policy of not giving surprises. They want an agreement, they recognize that the work is not finished, they want to resume negotiations," said Republican Representative Tom Reed.
"This is not about being a Republican or a Democrat. We've worked the last few weeks and said: Let's put Americans first, let's show them that Congress can get the job done," Reed added.
Negotiations between the White House and the Democratic Party did not reach an agreement before the summer recess.
Republican senators also failed a week ago by failing to get the votes needed to pass another smaller proposal, valued at $ 500 billion.
Democratic Representative Steny Hoyer said on Tuesday that the requirements to face the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus is greater than the 1.5 billion proposed by the bipartisan caucus, but he described his ideas as useful.
The president of the Lower House, Nancy Pelosi, announced that they will remain in session until both parties have reached an agreement regarding emergency economic aid in the face of the pandemic.
"We have to be here until we have an agreement," Pelosi told the Democratic representatives.
[Nine million people have not received an economic stimulus check for COVID-19. They still have a chance]
In the wake of the pandemic, some 50 million Americans have applied for unemployment benefits but, according to an analysis released today by the Center for American Progress (CAP), the benefits included in the Republican measure "fall short" for family support in 94% of counties and municipalities.
Since the end of July, when the subsidies approved by Congress in March expired, the unemployed have only received state aid which, according to the CAP, "does not provide for rent, much less for other expenses."