WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Senators have come to an agreement on the stimulus package to aid the American economy and people. But some lawmakers believe this should’ve been finished last weekend.
Senate Democrat and Republican leaders say they now agree on a $2 trillion emergency stimulus package.
“Now, what we need to make sure is that the dollars that are appropriated and authorized actually get out to the communities in need as quickly as possible,” Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said.
Warner and West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin say the bill will help keep Americans afloat due to the coronavirus.
“It was hard getting there and sometimes the partisanship would fight for whatever they believed in, but what it ended up is we have a good bill right now,” Manchin said.
The stimulus package provides direct payments to many Americans and emergency loans to small businesses and companies. But Senate Republicans believe this should’ve been passed days ago.
“There’s really not vast differences here. The tweaking that was done I think was a political exercise, unfortunately,” West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said.
Capito and Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey are frustrated by the process.
“Is it perfect? Absolutely not. Are there things in there I don’t like? Absolutely. I would’ve done this differently,” Toomey said.
But Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine says the changes Democrats made to the bill are important.
“The Senate bill that was on the table Sunday, would not have protected the lowest-income workers, would not have had the expansion for unemployment insurance to pick up everybody,” Kaine said.
Once this is done, Senator Kaine says lawmakers may begin work on a fourth relief bill, if needed.