The U.S. Congress has passed the second COVID-19 stimulus package.

There are still negotiations ongoing for the second stimulus package, which would bring the second round of direct payments to eligible Americans.

There are still negotiations ongoing for the second stimulus package, which would bring the second round of direct payments to eligible Americans.Senate Republicans, on October 21, 2020, tried to advance before moving to vote a stand-alone Paycheck Protection Program bill to support small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic on the $500 billion stimulus bill that Democrats blocked last month. The Democrat-led House of Representatives passed about $1 trillion measure called the HEROES Act to appeal to Republicans, down from the previous estimate of more than $3 trillion. Despite the continued impact of the COVID-19, negotiations surrounding a new stimulus bill haven’t been conclusive.

Republicans, Democrats, and the White House still could not strike an agreement on how much to spend and where to grant aid for the next COVID-19 stimulus package. Congress passed the first disbursement of $1,200 checks with the CARES Act that was passed in March. They targeted the payments at low- to middle-income individuals and families. The IRS and Treasury Department granted more than 160 million of those payments through direct deposit or mail. Millions of Americans want to take another $1,200 stimulus check from the U.S. government.

Democrats in the House and Republicans in the Senate showed opposition to President Donald Trump’s $1.8 trillion COVID-19 stimulus offer. White House negotiators now call for a separate vote on small business loans until the deadlock on a broader package is broken.

On September 10, 2020, Senate Republicans didn’t have enough votes to pass a $500 billion package that included unemployment benefits and small business aid. Though both parties favor granting more direct payments, other concerns continue to remain in negotiations.