COVID relief bill hits early snag over unemployment benefits
Senate Democrats have hit a snag early in the marathon voting session on the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief legislation, as moderate Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin, W.Va., threatens to unravel an emerging agreement on how to handle jobless benefits in the package.
Democrats on Friday unveiled what they thought was an agreement on unemployment insurance, sponsored by Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., that would cut the weekly jobless benefit from the $400 allotment in the House bill to $300, while allowing the benefit to continue through September rather than through August. The agreement also included the first $10,200 paid out through the unemployment program being untaxed.
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But Manchin, who has been urging his colleagues and the White House to further target the bill, isn't sold on the Carper proposal.
Further complicating matters for Democrats is an amendment expected from Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, which would slim down the jobless benefits even more. Portman's proposal would also cut the weekly benefit to $300 dollars, but it would end the program in July, potentially appealing to Manchin.
The Senate was at a standstill as Democrats worked to smooth out the kinks.
-ABC News' Allison Pecorin