Bipartisan group of senators prepares $908 billion stimulus plan, aiming to break partisan logjam

A bipartisan group of senators unveiled an approximately $908 billion stimulus proposal on Tuesday, aiming to break a months-long partisan impasse over providing emergency federal relief to the U.S. economy.

Congress has faced increasing pressure to approve additional economic relief since talks between the White House and House Democrats collapsed, first over the summer and then again in the fall ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential election.

With negotiations among congressional leaders at an impasse, rank-and-file senators in both parties have for several weeks worked together on a proposal that could break the logjam. Several centrist lawmakers in the Senate — including Sens. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and Susan Collins (R-Maine) — held a press conference Tuesday morning to push their new bipartisan agreement as a template for legislation that could pass Congress as the economy faces increasing strain from a winter surge in coronavirus cases.

“Our action to provide emergency relief is needed now more than ever before. The people need to know we are not going to leave until we get something accomplished,” Manchin said, flanked by about a half-dozen lawmakers. “I’m committed to seeing this through.”

The plan circulated by the bipartisan group is light on details but seeks to reach a middle ground on numerous contentious economic issues.

It would provide $300 a week in federal unemployment benefits for four months — a lower amount than the $600 per week sought by Democrats, while still offering substantial relief to tens of millions of jobless Americans. The agreement includes $160 billion in funding for state and local governments, a key Democratic priority opposed by most Republicans, as well as a temporary moratorium on some coronavirus-related lawsuits against firms and other entities — a key Republican priority opposed by most Democrats. The measure also includes funding for small businesses, schools, health care, transit authorities, and student loans, among other measures.