Senate Majority Chief Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)
After per week of tense negotiations with the White Home and one false begin, Senate Republicans on Monday launched their plan for the following coronavirus reduction package deal: the Heath, Financial Help, Legal responsibility Safety and Faculties (HEALS) Act. However the laws didn’t come abruptly: as a substitute, it trickled out from a handful of Senators and committees in several outlines and payments, together with a couple of gadgets that predate the Covid-19 disaster.
The splintered presentation was so uncommon that Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), used it as some extent of assault on the Senate flooring Monday after Majority Chief Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) unveiled the conglomeration, describing the Republicans’ strategy as “a metaphor for their first 100 days: lack of unity. They can’t even put one bill together—they are so divided.” Right here’s what Senate Republicans are proposing and the place to search out all the small print, which in some instances seem in a number of payments. We tracked them down so that you don’t need to.
The entire GOP proposals won’t but be obtainable to the general public, so we’ll replace this put up once we know extra. And naturally, Democrats must comply with all of this earlier than it will possibly grow to be legislation. Home Democrats handed their plan—the $three trillion Heroes Act—again in May. Learn extra about that right here.
The American Staff, Households, And Employers Help Act
The invoice, from Senate Finance Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), covers the discount of federal unemployment advantages, the second spherical of stimulus checks, an growth of the worker retention tax credit score created within the CARES Act final March, and new tax credit for employers that buy PPE like masks and gloves. It additionally has Covid-19 protections for nursing houses, and tweaks Medicare advantages—together with a provision that Medicare premiums received’t rise for anybody in 2021.
Stimulus checks
The invoice’s stimulus checks are just like the checks within the CARES Act, with a couple of tweaks. Eligible adults making lower than $75,000 per 12 months would obtain a $1,200 direct cost, and eligible {couples} (submitting collectively) making lower than $150,000 per 12 months would obtain a $2,400 direct cost. There would even be $500 funds for every dependent, no matter age, which means mother and father would get additional for school college students they assist (which didn’t exist within the CARES Act). The funds would part out step by step as revenue goes up, disappearing fully at $99,000 for people and $198,000 for {couples}, with phase-outs extending increased for these with dependents.
Over the weekend, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin stated the second spherical of checks might exit as quickly as subsequent month, though the timing is clearly depending on when a invoice lastly passes.
Unemployment
Republicans don’t wish to lengthen the additional $600-per-week federal unemployment complement from the CARES Act—a profit that expires this week. As a substitute, they’re proposing reducing that cost to $200 per week till states are capable of implement the GOP’s new formulation—the federal complement could be calculated individually to offer employees not more than 70% of their earlier wages, when state and federal funds are mixed. (Some would get lower than 70%, because the most federal test could be $500 per week.)
A memo from the Nationwide Affiliation of State Workforce Companies first reported by NPR recommended it might take between eight and 20 weeks for overwhelmed state unemployment places of work, with their creaky pc techniques, to transition to a scaled cost system.
The Safeguarding America’s Frontline Staff To Supply Work Alternatives Required To Kickstart The Financial system (SAFE TO WORK) Act
This invoice, launched by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), creates the legal responsibility protections for corporations that McConnell has stated are a “red line” merchandise for Republicans.
The SAFE TO WORK Act is a five-year “shield” for companies, healthcare suppliers, and colleges. Protections could be retroactive from December 1, 2019 and final by way of October 1, 2024. It might forestall companies that comply with sure tips from “being sued into oblivion while ensuring bad actors…will still be held accountable,” Cornyn stated in a press release.
Democrats have stated that any reduction spending ought to prioritize employee security, not defending employers and firms.
Maintaining American Staff Paid and Employed Act
This invoice, launched by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, and Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), would permit sure small companies to take a second forgivable Paycheck Safety Program loan. The invoice would make the loan forgiveness course of simpler for small companies that initially obtained lower than $150,000. It might additionally create a $60 billion long run working capital loan program for the industries and companies most affected by the pandemic.
Learn extra concerning the PPP adjustments right here.
Labor, Well being and Human Companies, Schooling and Associated Companies Committee Proposal
The plan, launched by the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Well being and Human Companies, Schooling and Associated Companies chair Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), is a seize bag of grants and new packages for a handful of various businesses, together with the Division of Labor, the CDC, and the Division of Schooling.
Most notably, it contains $105 billion for colleges (together with a big portion reserved for colleges that bodily reopen as President Trump has demanded), some $15 billion for childcare, $16 billion for testing, and greater than $40 billion for vaccines and Covid-19 analysis—parts which seem in laws elsewhere on this listing.
Coronavirus Response Extra Supplemental Appropriations Act
Senate Appropriations chair Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) put forth a $306 billion proposal that may allocate federal cash for agriculture, the Meals and Drug Administration, the Division of Protection, and the Division of Commerce. Whereas it overlaps partly with the Labor/HHS proposal, it additionally contains $20 billion for farmers and ranchers and $30 billion for the army, together with cash to exchange funds taken by President Trump to fund his border wall.
Time to Rescue United States’ Trusts (TRUST) Act
This invoice, launched by Senator Mitt Romney (R-Utah) in 2019, has been revamped and is immediately within the highlight once more as a part of the GOP stimulus plan. It might arrange “Rescue Committees” to review the adjustments wanted to make authorities belief funds for Social Safety and Medicare actuarially solvent over 75 years. Critics say the invoice is designed to quick monitor cuts to Social Safety and Medicare by engaged on plans behind closed doorways. As soon as the Social Safety Belief fund is depleted (maybe as early as 2029 because of the Covid recession), payroll tax revenues would solely cowl about 79% of advantages.
Safely Again to Faculty and Again to Work Act
One other invoice from Senate well being and training committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), would supply some reduction for essentially the most strapped scholar loan debtors however wouldn’t lengthen the coed loan cost deferral which was included within the CARES Act and is scheduled to run out on Sept. 30th. Learn extra about that right here.
It might additionally present scholarships for Ok-12 personal faculty college students, present federal assist for childcare suppliers, bulk up the nationwide stockpile of medical provides, and supply extra money for diagnostic testing growth and illness monitoring. The additional $105 billion additionally seems in Sen. Alexander’s proposal.
The broad plan additionally contains the Faculty Selection Act, beneath.
Faculty Selection Now Act
This laws from Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Senate Schooling Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) is included beneath the umbrella of Sen. Alexander’s well being and training proposals. It might present emergency funding for scholarship organizations, create a brand new tax credit score for contributions to scholarship-granting organizations and permit states to create their very own tax credit score scholarship packages. It might additionally shift oversight of training suppliers to states and away from the federal authorities.
Restoring Vital Provide Chains and Mental Property Act
This invoice, launched by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), goals to shift the manufacturing of private safety tools (PPE) like masks, robes, and gloves and different important medical provides from China to america. It might even have the federal authorities bulk up its PPE stockpile, with the aim of reaching 100% home sourcing in 5 years, and set up a $7.5 billion tax credit score to ensure america has sufficient manufacturing capability to fulfill that aim.
Supporting America’s Restaurant Staff Act
This invoice, from Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) would enhance the tax deduction for enterprise meals from 50% to 100%.
