House Democrats’ coronavirus proposal would require airlines to follow new emissions standards in order to receive economic aid.
The condition is just one of the many differences between the 1,400-page House bill and the proposal submitted by Senate Republicans which failed during two separate test votes.
The measure, which was unveiled Monday night, would grant up to $21 billion in federal loans to help airlines and carriers maintain their operations as travel has come to a near standstill over the pandemic. It would also provide $3 billion in payroll support grants for airline contractors.
The House Democrat-proposed package would also boost emergency funds for agencies, eliminate a payroll tax suspension, provide about $150 billion in aid to health care providers and community health centers and $80 billion in low-interest loans to hospitals.
Notably, the proposal would also provide payments of $1,500 per American adult and $1,500 per child, for up to three children in a household. The maximum a family could receive is $7,500.
In the Senate package, each American adult would be eligible for as many as two $1,000 checks.
Whether the bill is able to gain any traction in the Senate will likely depend on Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s ability to push forward their agreement, which they say they hope to complete by Tuesday morning and bring to the floor for a vote by Tuesday night.
The two worked late into the evening to hammer out the details of a deal after Senate Democrats blocked a $1.8 trillion GOP-proposed relief bill from passage Monday night.
