WASHINGTON – On the verge of passing a $ 1.9 billion Covid-19 bill, the Senate Democrats have agreed to reduce the measure’s federal unemployment benefits to $ 300 a week and to cover September according to two Democratic sources. to knit.
This is a reduction from the home-based version, which included $ 400 per week unemployment benefits through August, and it comes as the Senate begins Friday with a long series of votes to finalize the package.
The new figure is the result of an agreement between progressive and moderate Democrats, one Democratic assistant said.
Moderates wanted the weekly benefit reduced to $ 300 a week. Many Democrats wanted the month-long unemployed bonus to avoid a “wreath” as it expires in late August, when Congress is usually out of session and may not be willing to come back to fix it.
It will be presented as an amendment by Senator Tom Carper, D-Del.
“Having an unnecessary wreath for unemployed workers is not a good policy,” Carper said in a statement. “We have found a way to avoid this and ensure that the millions of Americans who are still struggling to find work will see an immediate benefit before tax day.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., predicted the bill would pass on relief.
“We are not going to make the same mistake we made after the last economic downtown, when Congress did too little to help the country return and locked us in a long, slow, painful recovery,” he said. he said on the Senate floor on Friday. “We are not going to be afraid of big challenges.”
The change at the last minute shows that Democratic leaders are still securing the support of all 50 of their senators. Due to likely unanimous opposition from the Republic, they can not afford any deviations if they want to pass the bill in a narrowly divided chamber.
The unemployment benefit between Democrats also allows the first $ 10,200 of the unemployment benefits to be non-taxable, which according to the Democrats will prevent surprising tax bills for the unemployed. It also extends tax rules for excess business loss restrictions for another year until 2026.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Criticized the Democrats for pursuing an emergency relief package without Republican votes after the House moved 51-50 to begin Thursday.
He insisted that the Democrats should not get credit for the economic recovery.
“We are already on the verge of returning from this crisis. It is not because of this bill. This is because of our work last year, ”McConnell said. ‘We will come back roaring and mostly not because of this bill. In fact, in some ways despite this bill. ”
Frank Thorp V. contributed.