Fourth Stimulus Bill – Comparison of House Bill and Senate GOP Measures
The House passed its version of stimulus bill in May; the Senate GOP and Trump Administration introduced their version yesterday. Negotiations are just now beginning, and the UI $600 a week expires at the end of July. Senate GOP members are fractured on their own proposal (HEALS Act) and strongly opposed to the House bill (HEROES Act).
Over all costs
· House -- $3 trillion
· Senate -- $1 trillion
State and Local Governments
· House -- $1 trillion
· Senate – $100 billion for public schools and colleges
New Stimulus Checks of $1200 to low, moderate and middle-income families
· House -- Yes
· Senate -- Yes
Hazard pay for essential workers
· House -- $200 billion
· Senate – Nothing
Help for renters and mortgage holders
· House -- $175 billion and moratorium on evictions and foreclosures
· Senate – Extension of the moratorium on evictions and foreclosures
Help for health care providers hard hit by Covid 19
· House -- $100 billion
· Senate – Nothing
Funding for Covid 19 testing and contact tracing
· House -- $75 billion
· Senate – $15 billion
Funding for Post Office hard hit by Covid 19
· House -- $25 billion
· Senate – Nothing
Funding for small businesses (EIDL and PPP) hard hit by Covid 19
· House – Yes, $10 billion new funding for EIDL and increased flexibility to spend unspent PPP funds and targeting to the smallest and most distressed businesses
· Senate – Yes, $190 billion in new funding with increased flexibility and improved targeting
Extension of UI $600 weekly add-on
· House – Yes, til next January
· Senate – Yes, but reduced to $200 weekly and then adjusted to 70% of worker’s pre-lay off paycheck
Premium assistance for COBRA payments for workers losing their employment based health insurance
· House – yes
· Senate – no
Repeal of $10,000 cap on deductions for mortgages and property taxes
· House – Yes
· Senate – No
Liability protections for employers and businesses if their employees or customers catch COVID 19 and the employer or business has not been following safety protocols
· House – No
· Senate – Yes
Funding for new FBI building adjacent to the Trump Hotel in DC
· House – No
· Senate – Yes
Funding for mail in balloting options for every American citizen
House — Yes, with $3.6 billion to the states
Senate — No
Food Stamps Program Increase in Benefits
House — Yes, about $25 per person per month
Senate — No
Prepared by: Lucien Wulsin
Dated: 7/29/20