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House Democrats’ coronavirus proposal would require airlines to follow new emissions standards in order to receive economic aid.
The condition is just one of the many differences between the 1,400-page House bill and the proposal submitted by Senate Republicans that failed during two separate test votes.
The measure, which was unveiled Monday night, would grant up to $21 billion in federal loans to help airlines and carriers maintain their operations as travel has come to a near-standstill over the pandemic. It would also provide $3 billion in payroll support grants for airline contractors.
The House Democrat-proposed package would also boost emergency funds for agencies, eliminate a payroll tax suspension, give about $150 billion in aid to health care providers and community health centers and $80 billion in low-interest loans to hospitals.
Notably, the proposal would also provide payments of $1,500 per American adult and $1,500 per child, for up to three children in a household. The maximum a family could receive is $7,500.
In the Senate package, each American adult would be eligible for as many as two $1,000 checks.
Whether the bill is able to gain any traction in the Senate will likely depend on Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s ability to push forward their agreement, which they say they hope to complete by Tuesday morning and bring to the floor for a vote by Tuesday night.
The two worked late into the evening to hammer out the details of a deal after Senate Democrats blocked a $1.8 trillion GOP-proposed relief bill from passage Monday night.
In response to the House bill, President Trump tweeted, “This is not about the ridiculous Green New Deal. It is about putting our great workers and companies BACK TO WORK!”
“Congress must approve the deal, without all of the nonsense, today. The longer it takes, the harder it will be to start up our economy. Our workers will be hurt!” he continued in a second tweet.
