Exclusive: Here is Congress’ planned timeline for the next coronavirus relief package



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It is doubtful that the House and Senate can tackle the next COVID-19 package before the first week of March, Fox News has learned. But, the process of putting a COVID relief measure in place on the floors of the House and Senate begins next week.

Here is the problem: How does the Senate propose such a measure (still unwritten) and avoid a systematic obstruction? It requires 60 yes. Plus, how do Democrats advance a plan in a 50/50 Senate? The answer is “budget reconciliation”. This is an obscure year-long financial process that limits debate in the Senate to just 8 p.m. No buccaneer allowed. And he only needs 51 votes to pass.

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Fox News has learned that the House Budget Committee will prepare a budget “vehicle” on February 1. The measure will likely go to the House floor on February 3. This “vehicle” is the essential first step. You can’t do the substance of the coronavirus bill unless you have the reconciliation vehicle that allows the Senate to review the actual package under these special rules.

Fox learns that the Senate will likely move its budget reconciliation vehicle on February 5.

In other words, it’s the “bus” that will hold the content of the next COVID package – and allow it to bypass filibusters.

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Fox News is told it will take a few more weeks to prepare the next coronavirus bill, and it will likely happen the first week of March. But it could go sooner if the measure is ready.

Democrats used budget reconciliation to pass ObamaCare in 2010 because they couldn’t get 60 votes to get over a filibuster. Republicans have unsuccessfully used reconciliation in an attempt to defeat ObamaCare. And Republicans have also used reconciliation to approve tax reform.

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Meanwhile, many Americans have yet to receive their $ 600 stimulus checks that were approved as part of the $ 900 billion relief plan adopted in December. Most Americans received stimulus checks of $ 1,200 as part of the first relief bill in April.

Fox News’s Evie Fordham contributed to this report.

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