Congressional leaders were closing in on a roughly $900 billion coronavirus relief deal on Wednesday, which is expected to include another round of direct payments to households feeling the pain of the pandemic’s battering of the global economy, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The package under discussion on Wednesday was expected to exclude the two thorniest issues: funding for state and local governments and liability protections for businesses and other entities operating during the pandemic, according to people familiar with the talks.
But congressional leaders were expected to add direct checks, potentially smaller than the initial $1,200 round. Senate Majority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters Wednesday he expected the checks would be in the $600 to $700 range per individual.
The package was also expected to include enhanced unemployment insurance, likely the $300 a week that a bipartisan group had proposed, Thune says. Congressional aides note that the negotiations were continuing and no final agreement had been reached.
