$908bn stimulus bill coming in Congress December 14, but…. ─Legislators

*US lawmakers engaged in the talks have said they completed detailed proposals on small business help, vaccine-distribution funding, and other key areas but ‘no guarantee’ that Congress will pass them

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Though many have thought that the current United States (US) leadership might have dashed hopes of several millions of American consumers to receive pandemic supplementary stimulus before the year runs out, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has said it will unveil a $908 billion Coronavirus pandemic relief bill in the Congress Monday, December 14, 2020.

However, there is “no guarantee” Congress will pass it, said Senator Joe Manchin, one of the key negotiators of the seemingly elusive proposed stimulus bill.

Senator Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, said on “Fox News Sunday” that “we were on a call all day yesterday (Saturday), we’ll get on a call again this afternoon to finish things up.

“We’ll have a bill produced for the American people tomorrow, $908 billion.”

Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers engaged in the talks have said they completed detailed proposals on small business help, vaccine-distribution funding and other key areas, according to report.

The sticking point, report stated, is how to shield employers from virus-related lawsuits, a top demand of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

A competing, $916 billion relief proposal is also circulating from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

Still, Manchin, one of eight negotiators from both parties involved in the drafting, has expressed confidence that the Congress will pass a relief bill before the holiday break.

The lawmaker explained: “The plan is alive and well and there’s no way, no way that we are going to leave Washington without taking care of the emergency needs of our people.”

Whether that’s enough to pass a bill in both houses is said to be an open question.

According to Senator Manchin, “there’s 535 people that have to vote, 535. I can’t guarantee they’re all going to vote for it and pass it.”

The report nonetheless noted that he didn’t spell out how the liability question would be addressed in the group’s proposal, while suggesting it might include both liability and aid to states, a Democratic priority.

He stated: “We can get something we could all live with, but we are putting a product forward.

“It’s going to go forward with both ─with everything hopefully in it. You will see a complete bill tomorrow before the end of the day.”

President Donald Trump has not been closely involved in the current round of talks, but the legislator noted on Fox News that he’s “pushing it very hard.”

Trump on “Fox and Friends” interview Saturday was quoted to have said:  “I want to see checks going for more money than they’re talking about going to people.”

Meanwhile, Manchin said mailing stimulus checks to Americans regardless of need in the latest round of relief was “a bad idea.”

Instead, negotiators are going for an extension of $300 a week in expanded jobless benefits for 16 weeks as “more reasonable, practical, and much-needed,” he added.