At the end of the year, in three weeks, some 14 million people will lose the extra unemployment benefits that came with the first round of COVID relief. Meanwhile, the U.S. is hitting records when it comes to new coronavirus cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.
On the bright side, the Senate passed a one-week spending bill to avert a government shutdown tonight. It already passed the House, and President Trump is expected to sign it.
“We're kind of at square one. People are still eyeball to eyeball. There's just a hope that something breaks through at this point. But that hasn't happened yet,” says Washington Post Congressional reporter DeBonis.
He adds, “It's quite the open question whether $300 billion for another round of stimulus checks is going to be a puzzle piece that can really fit into the larger puzzle.”