If things had gone as originally planned, a final stimulus package would have been finalized around August 7th and by now more stimulus checks would have been going out and arriving in your bank account.
But this stimulus package has not gone as planned to say the least.
Instead of having one comprehensive package passed, we have seen a handful of executive orders and memorandums go out and lawmakers discussing a “skinny” version of the stimulus package going out.
All of the measures above have left out an additional round of stimulus payments which is a major and perplexing problem.
I’ve still yet to see a logical explanation as to why these checks were left out.
Considering that they are one of the only major elements of the stimulus package that have had support from Democrats, Republicans, and the White House, it really does not make much sense.
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows stated earlier that President Trump was willing to sign a deal. “Let’s go ahead and get a stimulus check out to Americans. Let’s make sure that small businesses are protected..and put the postal funding in there. We’ll pass it tomorrow. The president will sign it.”
Stimulus checks looked like a for sure thing for several weeks as we approached August and now all of a sudden they are an uncertain item.
Yet, there still is some hope that they will go out.
House Democrats are supposed to vote on a bill to fund the USPS today and some believe that this could open the door for negotiations for stimulus checks.
It’s not clear if those stimulus checks would be lumped into a package to fund USPS or if they would be a stand-alone item.
If they are lumped in with proposed funding to USPS, that may not be a good sign because the skinny deal already provides $10 billion in funding and Democrats want $25 million in funding.
So I don’t think including stimulus checks with USPS funding is a good idea, because it won’t pass the Senate.
If this weekend goes by without any negotiations taking place, they most likely will not pick up until lawmakers return to session in September.
With elections coming up in November, you would think that Republicans and the White House would be very interested in getting more checks sent out before people head to the voting booths.
So if we don’t hear good news in the next few days, it looks like early September (after Labor Day) will be the next expected time for stimulus check negotiations to take place and perhaps be finalized.
Recall that the government must decide government funding by the end of September (to avoid a government shut down) so it’s possible that the next stimulus package and stimulus checks could get mixed up with funding of the government.
That could be a good thing because it could apply the necessary pressure to make lawmakers timely tend to the stimulus package but it could also backfire and cause delays.
Given the importance of government agencies during the time of the pandemic (National Institutes of Health, Department of Veterans Affairs, etc.), I can’t see lawmakers prioritizing stimulus negotiations over government funding and allowing a shutdown.
So between the deadline for government funding, the upcoming elections, and the dire need millions of Americans have for funds, this is truly an unprecedented and vital time that Congress needs to rise to the occasion for.
Related
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Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.
