Another $ 1,200 check and $ 600 weekly unemployment payments: this is the new relief plan in Congress

Democrats, who control the House of Representatives, have presented a new stimulus plan against the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, smaller than the previous one to unblock negotiations with the White House and the Senate, under Republican control.

The bill is worth $ 2.2 trillion, up from $ 3.4 trillion approved in May (and later blocked by the Senate).

Among other measures, it includes a second check for direct assistance to families of $ 1,200, and unemployment benefits of $ 600 per week.

The plan, presented by Democratic lower house legislators late Monday, also cuts aid to state and local governments to $ 436 billion;

it would send $ 225 billion to schools and universities;

and it would provide new subsidies to companies under the Payment Protection Program.

Despite being cut from $ 3.4 trillion to $ 2.2 trillion, the plan is still well above the amounts Republicans handle, between $ 650 billion and $ 1 trillion.

Here's what to do if you haven't received your stimulus check yet

Sept.

22, 202002: 05

The new proposal aims to unblock negotiations, whose last Senate vote failed earlier this month, although at the moment there appear to be no signs of progress in the meetings between the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and the Secretary of the Treasury. , Steve Mnuchin.

In this regard, Pelosi said on Monday that she remains in contact with Mnuchin, with whom she negotiated several previous aid packages.

The two spoke briefly on Sunday and Monday night and were scheduled to hold a conversation Tuesday, according to Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill.

"We've cut $ 1 trillion and they need to go up because we have to squash this virus," Pelosi said Monday, "It takes money to squash the virus.

Money is needed to make schools safe.

It takes money to put money in people's pockets. "

[Nine million people have not received an economic stimulus check for COVID-19.

They still have a chance]

Pelosi is considering putting the new measure to a vote if this week's talks prove unsuccessful.

In that case, the plan would be approved by the House of Representatives, but would go back to the Senate. 

The purpose of the new bill is to show good faith and spark a new round of fruitful talks, according to Democrats.

But it also occurs when party moderates and lawmakers in swing districts protest that Democratic leaders are being too inflexible.

"We Democrats are keeping our promise to commit to this updated bill, which is necessary to address the immediate health and economic crisis facing America's working families right now," Pelosi said last week in a letter sent to his fellow party members, "We have been able to make critical additions and lower the cost of the bill by shortening the time covered for now."

Most legislators see it unlikely that Congress will unlock the negotiations and pass a measure before November.

The objective then would be to resume the dialogue after the elections, in a shortened period of sessions before the end of the year.

[Republicans put a brake on Democratic petition for approval of a fourth stimulus plan]

Following the breakdown of talks over the summer, attempts to negotiate this month made no progress.

The last vote, on September 10, was shipwrecked in the Senate amid continuous partisan squabbles that make it difficult to reach an agreement before the elections.

The measure, valued at $ 500 billion, was rejected in a 52-47 vote.

Among Republicans, only Senator Rand Paul voted against it, as did all Democrats.

[Trump signs new Congressional grants of nearly $ 500 billion for small businesses]

That proposal was the third attempt by the Republicans in the Senate to approve aid to combat the pandemic but, contrary to their first measure, neither the latter nor the previous contained aid in direct checks for Americans.

In the wake of the pandemic, some 50 million Americans have applied for unemployment benefits but, according to an analysis released by the Center for American Progress.

Unemployment rate will take up to 10 years to recover

July 6, 202001: 54

The unemployment crisis has hit Hispanics and other minorities especially hard: an analysis by the Institute for Economic Policy indicated that, as of last June, the unemployment rate among Latinos was 14.5%, compared to 10.1% among The whites.