Trump said citizens will have a stimulus package after the election. Negotiations on a new stimulus bill stalled after failing to reach consensus before the November 3 presidential election.
President Donald Trump said last Friday that “we will have a tremendous stimulus package immediately after the election,” the president said at a press conference. Trump said negotiators would resolve differences over the stalled stimulus agreement and vote on a bill well before the presidential inauguration on January 20, 2021.
The president based his commitment on delivering a second stimulus check ensuring that he will win the election and that the House and Senate will have a Republican majority.
4 Scenarios
These are four scenarios that could happen after the November 3 presidential election:
1. An offer from the White House after November 3:
An agreement could be reached with the current situation in the House and Senate. If Trump signs it into law, stimulus checks and other aid would probably start rolling in a couple of weeks, with some of the groups receiving financial aid before the end of 2020.
2. The White House offer passes but fails in the Senate:
The House could vote on a deal after the presidential election, but the Republican-led Senate could reject it, so the bill would not become law.
In this case, Congress could try again after the next members of the House and Senate meet on January 3, 2021.
3. Some funds could be included in a bill that would also fund the government after December 11:
It is possible that some of the funding, for example, a stimulus check, unemployment assistance or an extension of the eviction stay, could be turned into a bill to keep government funding going past Dec. 11 and avoid a shutdown, according to Reuters.
4. Talks are being held until election results are in:
If the talks stall after the election, they are likely to resume after the January inauguration.
There has been speculation that if Trump loses the election and the Senate loses its majority, there will be little incentive for Congress to pass a new package until 2021 during the transition.
6 keys that have delayed the delivery of a second stimulus check
The discussion on unemployment benefits has been one of the hottest topics in the negotiations. What is stopping Republicans and Democrats from agreeing on another pandemic relief bill?
Over the past few weeks, both sides have hinted at some issues that have prevented agreement. Here’s what we know:
1. State and local funding:
On October 20, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi described in a public statement, state and local funding as one of two supports preventing the two sides from reaching a financial aid agreement. Pelosi said the funding would go to pay the salaries of lifeguards, health care workers and teachers.
However, the Trump administration has refused to accept the funding, claiming it is a bailout of cities that are run by Democrats. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement that the administration has “provided compromise positions that are reasonable.
2. Liability protection for diseases related to the pandemic and more:
One of the issues that has been discussed between members of the House and Senate is liability protection for businesses and schools. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has repeatedly said that any new stimulus bill must include liability protections that limit people from suing businesses (e.g., employers) if they have acquired the for the pandemic, except in serious cases of negligence.
3. More testing and case tracking:
The Speaker of the House of Representatives has called for more for the pandemic testing and tracking measures, contact isolation, and support for hospitals and health care providers to “get rid of the virus.
The website Politico.com said the two parties remain divided on the proposal, although Mnuchin said both parties agree on further testing.
4. Money for schools and daycare centers:
More resources to accommodate institutions and schools has been a pending issue during discussions of a new pandemic support package.
5. Tax credits for working families:
Democrats are still waiting for a response from the White House to see if it will approve funding to strengthen the Income Tax Credit.
6. Unemployment insurance:
Democrats said they have not received a response on a new program that would include a support package on unemployment benefits. Mnuchin, however, said that Pelosi has “refused to commit to extended unemployment benefits.
Negotiations on a new support package have stalled, some analysts say that a new support plan could still be approved but until the official result of the presidential election is announced, giving rise to four possible scenarios in which a new stimulus check would be pending.