W🌄ASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate will vote on Wednesday on a $300 billion Senate Republican coronavirus relief bill that ไis far below the estimated $2 trillion that Democrats have demanded.
The bill, dubbed a “skinny” relief bill for its pared-down funding, was already rejected here by Democrats in September and is again expected to fail.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement Saturday that the vote would follow a standalone vote on additional♕ Paycheck Prot🗹ection Program (PPP) funds on Tuesday.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secr♒etary Steven Mnuchin spoke for an hour and 15 minutes Saturday evening and their staff “will continue discussions, and they have agreed to speak again on Monday,” Treasu🃏ry spokeswoman Monica Crowley said on Twitter.
Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said that there was progr💮ess on coronavirus testing but “there remains work to do to ensure there is a comprehensiv꧙e testing plan.”
He added there ♚are numerous other differeꦬnces “that must be addressed in a comprehensive manner in the next 48 hours.”
♛🐟Hammill also said “decisions must be made by the White House in order to demonstrate that the Administration is serious about reaching a bipartisan agreement that provides for Americans with the greatest needs during the pandemic.”
The White House declined to comment.
On Oct. 10, Mnuchin proposed a $1.8 trillion economic stimulus proposal in talks with Peloꦜsi but many Sena༺te Republicans have balked at a package that big.
Time is winding down before the Nov. 3 presidential election♛ to reach an agreement on a new coronavirus relief package.
“These are just some of the urgent needs that Washington should meet immediately while debates c𝕴ontinue over the rest,” McConnell said.
In September🍸, McConne🃏ll estimated the cost of the new PPP program at $257 billion.
Relief plans have remain bogged down over the appropriate amount of funding and related issues like coronavirus testing plans and a Republican push to protect companies from li♋ability if their workers get infected on the job.
Airlines have pleade🐓d with Congress for a new $25 billion bailout to keep workers on the job after a prior six-month payroll assistance program expired on Sept🧔. 30. At least 32,000 airline workers have been laid off this month after funding ended.