Bipartisan group of senators prepares $908 billion stimulus plan, aiming to break partisan logjam

Source: WaPo

A bipartisan group of senators is expected to unveil an approximately $908 billion stimulus proposal on Tuesday, aiming to break a months-long partisan impasse over providing emergency federal relief to the U.S. economy, according to four people aware of internal negotiations.

Congress has faced increasing pressure to approve additional economic relief since talks between the White House and House Democrats collapsed, first over the summer and then again in the fall ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential election.

Failure to reach an agreement could have serious consequences for the economy and millions of Americans. A number of critical relief programs are set to expire at the end of the year; 12 million Americans are on pace to lose their jobless benefits, and protections for renters and student borrowers are also set to expire.

With negotiations between congressional leaders at an impasse, rank-and-file senators in both parties have for several weeks quietly discussed putting together a bipartisan proposal that could break the logjam. Several centrist and dealmaker types in the Senate — including Sens. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) — are expected to push their new bipartisan agreement as a template for legislation that could pass Congress as the economy faces increasing strain from a winter surge in coronavirus cases.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2020/12/01/stimulus-congress-coronavirus/