December 15, 2020 — A bipartisan group of lawmakers Monday offered Congress a double dose of compromise to end months of gridlock over Covid-19 relief talks as the year and unemployment benefits for 12 million Americans run out.
The Problem Solvers Caucus, a 50-member group made up of moderate House Democrats and Republicans, have been chipping away at the months-long stalemate in Congress since September. Just two weeks ago, the caucus formally introduced a $908 billion proposal to shore up the U.S. economy, but it gained little traction.
On Monday, however, the caucus rolled out a new plan to break up the massive bill into two smaller parts with tailored features that might make passage slightly easier should the measures actually come up for a vote.
The first bill proposed by the caucus totals $748 billion and would extend unemployment benefits for another 16 weeks and to the tune of $300 in weekly supplemental aid. The CARES Act stimulus package passed in the spring offered $600 in unemployment benefits.