Congress At A Standstill On COVID-19 Relief Package
Talks among party leaders in Washington about a future COVID-19 relief package are at an impasse.
Democrats are still adamant about enacting legislation that injects trillions of additional dollars into the American economy, and Republicans seemingly trying to run out the clock in hopes Democrats will consent to passing a “skinny” deal that temporarily addresses expiring relief programs.
One of those programs is the expanded unemployment benefits for jobless workers created on a bipartisan basis through the CARES Act in March as the US economy was put in lockdown.
The expanded benefits expired July 31, the same day the latest national jobs report is released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, potentially creating new pressure for lawmakers to act.