US Congress studies new aid package 1:02
(CNN) ––
Congressional leaders are finally sending signals that they are approaching a deal on a new stimulus package, which would include another stimulus check for individuals and that the Senate and House could pass in a few days.
This, after months of bitter stagnation and while millions of Americans are impatient for help.
The sum of the deal for a stimulus could be around $ 900 billion, a source with knowledge told CNN.
Although more details could be known towards the end of this Wednesday.
LOOK: ANALYSIS |
Finally, will we have an economic stimulus agreement for covid-19 or not?
New round of stimulus checks
The deal is expected to include a new round of stimulus checks of $ 600 per individual.
However, money would not go to state and local aid, a priority Democrats were pushing for.
Nor would it provide for lawsuit protections, something the Republicans wanted.
The measure is also expected to include an additional $ 300 a week in unemployment benefits.
Plus up to $ 330 billion for small business loans and money for vaccine distribution.
However, there are still provisions that generate setbacks.
Among them, a Democratic effort to include $ 90 billion in aid to the states.
These funds would be administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA, for its acronym in English)
John Thune, aide to the Senate Majority Leader, told CNN that if that measure is "simply a way to disguise money for state and local governments, it will have a lot of opposition."
And he added that it will depend on how it is structured.
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Even as talks move in a positive direction toward a deal, congressional leaders are still trading offers and going back and forth in an attempt to finalize a proposal and pass it in Congress in just days, multiple sources told CNN.
What would and would not include the second stimulus package?
2:13
Voting on package that includes stimulus check is uncertain
That means that when Congress will vote is still very uncertain.
Also, if they can tie the roughly $ 900 billion stimulus plan to a massive $ 1.4 trillion spending bill that the Capitol is trying to pass by the time the government runs out of money on Friday night.
It remains to be seen whether Congress will have to give the green light to another stopgap measure to keep the agencies afloat.
During a conference call Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested that votes on the final approval could be extended into the weekend.
And it prepared its members to be ready for that possibility.
If that happens, there may be a temporary government shutdown until final approval.
Precisely, the government funds are exhausted on the night of this Friday.
In addition, it is planned to link the stimulus package for covid-19 to the financing bill.
Congress may have to pass a short-term stopgap measure to prevent that from happening.
The stimulus proposal now in the works is roughly twice the amount Senate Republicans have proposed.
Yet it is a fraction of what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has demanded for months.
Before the election, Pelosi had latched onto a $ 2.2 trillion deal, but is now willing to back a much smaller proposal.
This, on the grounds that they will have another chance to push for more help when Joe Biden takes office.
Congressional leaders intervene
Pelosi's staff, McConnell, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy are expected to speak on the phone Wednesday.
These are the top four leaders of the Capitol.
McConnell said in a Senate speech on Wednesday that Capitol leaders have "made great progress toward crafting a specific pandemic aid package, which both houses could pass with bipartisan majorities."
He added: "We agreed that we will not leave the city until we have made the law."
LEE: US Senators optimistic about agreeing on a stimulus plan earlier this week
The difficulties in agreeing to the stimulus package also loom over the Georgia Senate runoff elections.
Precisely, these contests will determine which party will control that chamber in the next period.
During the call with Republican senators, McConnell noted that direct payments to individuals and families became a major issue in the race.
"Kelly and David are being questioned" on the matter, he said, according to a source who heard his comments.
His remarks refer to incumbent Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, who face Democratic rivals.
In a conference call with House Democrats on Wednesday, Pelosi noted that the agreement is not yet final.
However, he detailed the general lines of the proposal.
There wasn't much pushback on the call, and sources described the atmosphere in the conversation as positive.
Pelosi held the GOP's insistence on lawsuit protections for businesses and others responsible as the reason state and local aid was not included in the proposal.
Although he did mention other areas of the proposal in process - school financing, vaccine distribution and transportation projects - in which states and localities would get money.
Pelosi said Democrats will push again for state and local aid when Joe Biden takes office.
Stimulus check "creates concerns" in the Republican Party
Instead of providing direct aid to the states, Capitol leaders are seeking a $ 90 billion fund that would be administered by FEMA.
And his goal would be to help states and cities, senators say.
«Does it affect our vote count?
Probably, Thune realized.
Thune also said that "some of our friends will not like" the $ 300 a week for unemployment benefits, but others will.
And he noted that "personal (stimulus) checks raise concerns among some members of the Republican Party."
Thune added that small business loans appear to have increased to $ 330 billion in this package, which Republicans support.
Once the details are formally released, Capitol leaders will have to sell the plan to their groups of legislators.
And also try to pass it quickly in Congress.
All with the threat of a closure looming at the end of the week.
It will not be an easy task.
But leading Democrats and Republicans expressed their confidence Tuesday night.
Right after the top four leaders met for the first time in months and said a deal is finally in the offing.
But they declined to share details.
How could the legislative process be
Once the agreement is reached, the leadership of both parties will have to inform the base to sell the agreement to them.
Then they must act as quickly as possible to have a vote in both houses.
LOOK: ANALYSIS |
Congress stumbles over covid-19 aid package as vaccine approval clears key hurdle
Negotiators fight time over the Friday deadline at midnight, when government funding expires.
And, barring major last-minute snags, lawmakers could target a House vote this Thursday.
That process would be followed by a vote in the Senate on Friday.
The unanimous consent of all 100 senators would be required to schedule a vote.
Which means that if any senator objects, there could be at least a temporary government shutdown over the weekend.
Negotiators are likely to present a $ 1.4 trillion government funding package on Wednesday.
Then, when the House Rules Committee meets to vote in the House, an amendment will be offered to address the covid relief agreement before sending the entire package to the floor.
Once a vote takes place in the House, there will be little time left before the potential shutdown is triggered.
With such a narrow margin of error, be prepared for grassroots members to try to influence the process in an effort to win concessions.
If a quick vote in the Senate is blocked, there could be a brief government shutdown over the weekend.
And if lawmakers fail to finalize a massive public spending bill for a new fiscal year, there is also the possibility that they will be forced to revert to a short-term funding patch.
Although the congressmen of both parties have made it clear that they do not want that to happen.
It is not yet clear how much acceptance a deal will get between the rank and file of both parties.
But, there will probably be concerns from the Republican Party about the amount of money.
12 million in the US still not claiming the stimulus money 0:47
Senator Ron Johnson, Republican of Wisconsin, said "probably" when asked if the figure was too much money.
Republican Senator Rand Paul, however, said Wednesday that he will not stand in the way of a quick vote in the Senate.
"We probably won't object to the time constraints," the Kentucky Republican told reporters.
The proposal in process is expected to include a new round of stimulus checks.
But the expected number is not as high as the one being pushed by House progressives Sen. Bernie Sanders and at least one Republican, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri.
Sanders, who has been demanding $ 1,200 in checks, praised the proposal to include stimulus checks.
This, despite being expected to be in the $ 600 to $ 700 range for individuals.
Sanders said he would continue to demand more, but did not say whether he would object or delay the deal to prevent it from being approved Friday.
"Two weeks ago ... there was practically no discussion about direct payments," Sanders said.
So I'm proud of the progress we've made… I'm going to keep fighting for more.
Because people are in trouble right now and need help, but it's a good start.
Suzanne Malveaux, Daniella Diaz and Ted Barrett, both from CNN, contributed to this report.
Economic aid Congress COVID-19 Economic stimulus Pandemic
