House Democratic leaders will begin outlining the major provisions in a massive economic aid package beginning Tuesday during conference calls scheduled with Democratic lawmakers.
Democrats may vote as early as Friday on a sweeping measure that will top $1 trillion as businesses and people suffer financially during the coronavirus pandemic. They’ll also vote on a resolution to change the House rules to allow proxy voting.
The bill will include a $1 trillion in aid to state and local governments, rent and mortgage relief, rent and student debt relief, more direct cash payments, and unemployment insurance and money for states to hold mail-in elections, among many other provisions.
House Democratic leaders have scheduled four conference calls for Tuesday and one on Wednesday that detail the spending legislation and the resolution that would allow lawmakers to vote for absent colleagues on the House floor.
“As part of our ongoing effort to maximize member engagement and the dissemination of information during the legislative process, the Caucus will host a series of issue-specific conference calls on Tuesday and Wednesday,” Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, said in a memo Monday night. “Each call will include an overview by the relevant committee chair or chairs and a presentation by senior staff on the substantive provisions of importance included in CARES 2.0.”
The measure is meant to follow the original CARES bill signed into law by President Trump in March that provided $2.2 trillion in federal aid.
Senate Republicans and Trump have said they want to wait several weeks before deciding whether to take up a new coronavirus-related federal spending measure.
The list of spending provisions in the House bill, according to the conference call topics, include:
- Coronavirus testing, worker safety, aid to hospitals, front-line workers, teachers, and students
- Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses
- Supporting nonprofit organizations
- Rent and mortgage assistance
- Aid to states, municipalities, counties, territories, and tribal governments
- Direct assistance to families and small businesses, unemployment insurance, pensions
Lawmakers will also hold a call on “Election security, House Rules, and Procedures, governing during the pandemic.”
