There has already been progress on the bipartisan conversations we mentioned last night.
The bipartisan group of Senators we mentioned were meeting are releasing their bill today and the prospective contents of that bill have been released. From the 10am press conference it looks like it will include:
State & local funding: $160B
Unemployment: $180B ($300/week FPUC for 18 weeks starting Dec 1 - it is not further retroactive.)
PPP: $288
Airlines & other transport: $45B
Vaccines: $16B
Healthcare: $35B
Education: $32B
Student loans: $4B
Rental assistance: $25B
Plus, Postal, childcare, broadband & opioid - full breakdown in chart form here.
This proposal also includes a temporary liability shield
The $300/week includes those on PUA according to an answer given during the press conference.
This bill is intended to hold us over until the end of the March 2021. $560B of money is repurposed from the CARES Act. About $348B is new money.
You can view a recording of the 10am press conference.
The bill was written by:
Republican Sens. Mitt Romney (UT), Bill Cassidy (LA), Lisa Murkowski (AK), and Susan Collins (ME) as well as Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin (WV), Mark Warner (VA), Dick Durbin (IL), Jeanne Shaheen (NH), and Independent, Angus King (ME).
Other Senators who have called for bipartisan relief, but are not on this bill:
Rob Portman (OH), Chris Coons (DE), Michael Bennet (CO.), Debbie Stabenow (MI), Maggie Hassan (NH),
Dick Durbin spoke on the Senate floor overlapping the press conference endorsing much of the bipartisan bill. He did not attend the conference because he does not endorse the liability immunity included. Speech here.
We will update as new information becomes available. This bill is not currently endorsed by leadership from either party or the White House so it's path forward is unclear, but it is encouraging that Senators are feeling the pressure to DO SOMETHING. In the meantime, call your Senators and let them know what you think.
December scripts at ExtendPUA.org/strategy
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi via phone this afternoon to discuss a spending package to avoid a government shutdown and additional stimulus measures, according to an aide. (Source: NPR)
In addition to that, Senators Warner and Wyden's letter urging Senate Leaders McConnell and Schumer to extend PUA and PEUC was released with the signatures of over 32 Senators. That letter is here including the list of those who signed it.
Source: Personal emails directly from staffers as well as a public press release.
Lastly, we are also aware of another Senator drafting a bill that does include the $600. We were notified through his staff directly.
Call your Senators. Your voice matters. ExtendPUA.org/strategy
UPDATEs to this post:
Update at 1PM: The other bill centering solely on UI has also been proposed today by a group of Democratic Senators. Read about it here.
Update 230p: Pelosi statement on talks with Mnuchin here.
Update 330p: McConnell releases proposal. Details here.
Updates December 3 here. Summarized they are: 1. Bill will include a PUA extension, likely 13 additional weeks for both PUA and PEUC claims.
2. Making the $300 PUC retroactive is being considered and fought for by some legislators.
3. Many groups including NELP are still fighting for the PUC to be more than $300 and we will continue to too.
4. Many Senators and Congresspeople have come out to endorse this bill and it seem viable.
Please keep calling your legislators and tell them to support this bill as a temporary solution and tell them what else you need in it. ExtendPUA.org/strategy has scripts and phone numbers.