Second round of coronavirus stimulus checks in jeopardy as Senate leaves until September without relief deal
THE second round of coronavirus stimulus checks are in jeopardy as the Senate left until September without a relief deal.
The Senate left on Thursday for summer recess.
The decision to vacate comes after and failed to agree on certain terms of the relief package, meaning that the second round of is still pending approval.
The recess was technically supposed to begin earlier this week, but Senate Majority Leader kept the chamber in session in a final attempt to get some sort of package passed.
However, with Democrats and Republicans still butting heads, Senators argued there was little reason to remain in DC with no progress being made, according to .
The House of Representatives already left DC and are not expected to return until mid-September.
"We will have our regular pro forma meetings through the end of the state work period," McConnell said as he wrapped up Thursday's session.
"If the Speaker of the House and the minority leader of the Senate decide to finally let another package move forward ... it would take bipartisan consent to meet for legislative business sooner than scheduled."
If Treasury Secretary and Chief of Staff Mark Meadows can reach an agreement with Congressional Democrats and schedule a vote, Senators will get at least 24 hours to return, according to The Hill.
Otherwise, the Senate will reconvene on September 8.
While McConnell blamed the lawmakers' failure to pass a relief package on Democrats holding the bill "hostage," House Speaker said it is Republicans in who are halting the legislation.
"With families nationwide struggling to make ends meet & children going hungry, Republicans are playing politics and refusing to put #FamiliesFirst," Pelosi wrote on Thursday afternoon.
"It's time for them to get serious, meet us halfway & come back to the negotiating table," she added.
Both parties are reportedly on board with sending eligible another round of stimulus checks, like the ones sent in March as part of the CARES package.
The two parties are butting heads, though, when it comes to unemployment benefits.
The news that lawmakers are heading home comes just days after attempted to bypass Congress to pass aimed at providing economic relief during the coronavirus pandemic.
The orders, which included deferring payroll taxes and replacing a $600 weekly unemployment benefit with a $400 one, were quickly slammed by lawmakers as unconstitutional, with many questioning whether the president has the authority to pass the orders.
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If a relief package agreement can be reached at some point in August, Americans could expect their stimulus checks in September, .
The website predicts that if a deal is reached by August 21, checks will be sent out by September 2.
If a deal is passed the next Monday, on August 24, checks could be sent by the week of September 14.