If there is no second stimulus check in the next relief invoice, you can still benefit from it

After Congress returns to work on Monday, senators and representatives are set to debate the merits of a big or small stimulus package again to pass before 2020. There is just one problem: Congress is deeply divided over the size and scope of a COVID-19 rescue bill, which is why negotiations have already dragged on for six months. The urgency of passing a bill, and the frustrations that it still won’t happen, alarm U.S. leaders and health experts as the country heads into what President-elect Joe Biden has called a “winter grim “of growing coronavirus cases and growing economic hardship.

The United States reported its deadliest day since May on Wednesday, with 2,300 deaths from the coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that the United States could reach a death toll of more than 320,000 by mid-December.

Growing number of Republican and Democratic MPs are pushing Congress to focus on a bill smaller than Democrats’ have declined since spring. A smaller bill could extend some of the more critical programs will expire at the end of the year and maybe leave out the popular second economic stimulus check. After agreeing on short-term aid, Congress could resume discussions on a larger package after the Biden administration takes office Jan 20.

For months, Democratic leaders rejected the idea of ​​a smaller, focused bill – what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called half a loaf of bread – but the Senate and House of Representatives meeting for a handful of days before the end of the year, a smaller bill may be the only way to negotiate a deal before the end of the year.

“We have to do it now,” Senator Roy Blunt, a Republican from Missouris, said on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday. “The problem was our friends across the building thought it was $ 2.4 trillion or nothing. Half of that would have made a big difference, then after the first of the year we would have could fix this problem again. “

A second stimulus check with a maximum value of $ 1,200 per person however, is not insured. (And a payment could bring you Less money than before.) Those who oppose a second direct payment suggest another direct payment may not be necessary, as a next COVID-19 vaccine indicates a return to work and the type of expenses that fuel the economy. Not everyone will get the vaccine at the same time, however, and wider distribution in mid-2021 is still months away.

Last week, a group of 127 economists signed an open letter (PDF) calling for a second stimulus check as a quick, fair and effective way to “get families and the economy back on track.” But after months of fruitless debate, what does it mean if another stimulus checks born come? We took a look at what other benefits a new stimulus package could bring you, even without $ 1,200 per qualified adult. This story is regularly updated with new information.

Smaller bill could bring even more money to federal unemployment checks

the CARES Law in March authorized $ 600 more per week in unemployment money for unemployed people. When this program ended in July, President Donald Trump signed an executive action which extended payments until the end of the year to an additional $ 300 per week, until Dec.31 or until the money for each state runs out. With the total number of unemployed claiming benefits as high as 20 million, the government reported this month, a renewal of federal unemployment assistance could directly help millions of people pay rent, food and pay. other essential goods.

Help for small businesses to pay workers’ wages

The Payroll Protection Program, which is also part of the CARES Act, was designed to help keep workers in employment by providing forgivable loans to small businesses for the purpose of paying wages. This means that people who work for small companies should be more likely to keep their jobs, as their employer can get extra money to help workers stay on the books.

While recent studies suggest that the payroll program has not been as effective as it could have been – many companies using the loans on non-salary expenses and to accumulate savings, according to a study by the University of Chicago – Republicans and Democrats pushed for renewal. of the program targeting the hardest-hit small businesses.

Protecting tenants to end evictions

The CARES law provided for a period of 120 days moratorium on the eviction of tenants in arrears of rent. Trump renewed the moratorium until December 31. With a recent U.S. Census study that found that one in five renters are not caught up with their rent during the pandemic, a failure in protections could spell disaster for U.S. households and could be made worse by an expected increase. in the event of personal bankruptcy.

With Congress until after Thanksgiving and the Dec. 11 deadline to approve a new federal budget, lawmakers will need to act quickly to agree on a short-term solution before the New Year.

Until then, here’s what we know about the state of negotiations on another economic bailout bill, what could be delay a deal and five advantages disappear unless Congress acts before the end of the year.