After months of political posturing and stalled negotiations, Congress will be voting today on the long overdue aid package for businesses and individuals struggling with the effects of the pandemic and state lockdowns. Both parties have agreed to the details of the bill on Sunday night and are expected to hold a final vote on Monday before sending it to President Trump for approval. The bill would establish a temporary $300 per week supplemental jobless benefit and a $600 direct stimulus payment to most Americans, along with a new round of subsidies for hard-hit businesses and money for schools, health care providers and renters facing eviction. Here’s a brief outline of how the $900 billion bill will be allocated:
- Direct Economic Relief $286 billion – $120 billion for unemployment insurance and $166 billion in direct payments to Americans.
- Small business – $325 billion for a revival of the Paycheck Protection Program
- Vaccine, testing and healthcare providers – $69 billion
- Schools – $82 billion
- Rental Assistance – $25 billion
- Food and Farm aid – $26 billion
- Child Care – $10 billion
- Postal Service – $10 billion
The relief package also includes legislation to protect consumers from surprise medical bills after receiving out-of-network treatment. Also included with the bill are tax break extensions for certain businesses and $10 billion for water projects. Click here to read the full story.