Congress Close to Coronavirus Aid Deal

This man will not rest until everyone gets their stimulus checks.Tom Brenner - Pool Via Cnp/CNP via ZUMA

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Good ol’ Washington DC. Congress decided to remove aid to states from the coronavirus relief bill, which brought the total price tag down below $800 billion. But that seemed like kind of a waste since everyone was willing to go up to a trillion. So why not toss in a little early Christmas present for everyone?

The price tag of the emerging deal is roughly $900 billion, and a deal could be finalized on Wednesday, those sources said. Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) said the proposal would likely include direct checks to individuals of $600 to $700 and a weekly unemployment boost of $300 through March.

So there you have it: another stimulus check and three months of bonus unemployment benefits. Who says Congress can’t make deals these days?

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DONALD TRUMP & DEMOCRACY

Mother Jones was founded to do journalism differently. We stand for justice and democracy. We reject false equivalence. We go after stories others don’t. We’re a nonprofit newsroom, because the kind of truth-telling investigations we do doesn’t happen under corporate ownership.

And we need your support like never before, to fight back against the existential threats American democracy faces. Fundraising for nonprofit media is always a challenge, and we need all hands on deck right now. We have no cushion; we leave it all on the field.

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