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New Potential Stimulus Package Now Includes Personal Checks: After months of roadblocks, it looks as if Congress may finally be coming to an agreement in an effort to pass a much-needed COVID-19 stimulus package. While this package has been rumored for days, it was revealed on Wednesday that it will most likely include stimulus checks for most Americans.
The proposed package comes with a price tag of $900 billion, however, the key elements of the bill have not yet been released. Lawmakers, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, indicate that the bill includes a second round of stimulus checks for most Americans. The checks are expected to be cut in the amount of $600 per individual. The exact income limitations have also not been released. Last spring, the original COVID-relief package delivered personal stimulus checks for double that amount.
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In addition to the personal checks, the package is expected to provide an extra $300 per week in unemployment benefits. Another large chunk of money will go toward small business loans and funding for vaccine distribution.
When Will the Vote Happen? As of Wednesday night, there has been no call to vote on the package yet. It is important to remember that Congress is also up against the wall to pass a government funding package. As it stands now, the government is scheduled to shut down at midnight on Friday if the budget is not passed. The government spending bill is in the ballpark of $1.4 trillion. If Congress is not able to pass this through, it will need to pass another stop-gap to keep the pertinent agencies up and running.
On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on a conference call that the negotiations for both bills could last through the weekend, signaling that Congress may not be ready to break for the holidays quite yet.
Pete Buttigieg Tapped for Role of Transportation Secretary: Former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg was tapped by President-elect Joe Biden to serve in his Cabinet as the transportation secretary. If he passes through the Senate confirmation process, Buttigieg would carry the distinction of being the first openly gay Cabinet member in the nation’s history.
The 38-year-old would also likely be the youngest person on Biden’s Cabinet team. In addition, he is the first former presidential candidate from Biden’s run to be nominated to serve in his administration.
Biden has not been shy about his ambitions to dramatically boost the nation’s infrastructure. The incoming president wants to work with his transportation secretary to create jobs through the rebuilding of roads and bridges while refocusing the infrastructure initiatives so that they align with his climate change plans.
Not a Warm Welcome Home: One of the most pressing questions facing President Donald Trump these days is where he will go after his term at the White House comes to an end on January 20. Trump and his family have signaled that they plan on making their private home in Florida’s Mar-a-Lago resort their permanent residence, moving away from their last residence at the Trump Tower in New York City.
First lady Melania Trump is planning to head down to Palm Beach this weekend to check on the current renovations of their home at Mar-a-Lago. However, a controversy is brewing as residents claim that Trump is violating the agreement that stipulates that residents must limit their stays at this vacation community and not use it as a permanent home. The rules stipulate that owners cannot spend more than seven consecutive days at the resort and more than three weeks in one year. Owners have routinely complained about the extra attention and traffic that comes with a Trump stay.
Christie to Send Mask Message: After suffering from a serious case of COVID-19, former New Jersey mayor Chris Christie is speaking out about the dangers of not wearing a mask. Christie’s bout with COVID-19 landed him in the ICU for seven days last October. Christie allegedly picked up the virus while at the White House helping Trump to prepare for his first presidential debate.
Since spending time in the hospital fighting for his life, Christie admits that he regrets his decision to mask up while in the presence of others outside of his immediate household. He will take this message to the public in ads scheduled to appear over the next two weeks on the Fox News Channel, Newsmax, and SiriusXM Radio. In the ad, Christie will plead with people to not make the same mistake that he did by not wearing a mask.
Pence to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine on Camera: After a few days of speculation, it has been confirmed that Vice President Mike Pence will indeed receive the COVID-19 vaccine this week. The White House confirmed that Pence will receive the vaccine on Friday live on camera. The broadcast of the vice president receiving the vaccine is intended to instill confidence in the American people about the safety of the product.
Second lady Karen Pence will also receive the vaccine at the same time. Joining the couple in the live vaccination will be US Surgeon General Jerome Adams.
At this time, Trump is not expected to receive the vaccine. Biden is planning to get his vaccine early next week.
