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Second stimulus check: What are the Republican and Democrat proposals?

With debates ongoing in the US Senate, a second round of direct payments is gaining support among Republicans including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), wearing a mask, walks to a closed-door luncheon with fellow Republicans, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S. July 21, 2020. REUTERS/Tom Brenner
TOM BRENNERREUTERS

The CARES Act was signed into law on Friday, March 27, 2020. The very first stimulus checks were paid into people's bank accounts over the weekend of the 11 and 12 of April, giving a lag time of about two weeks for the first payments. 

The first people to receive the stimulus payments, directly into their bank accounts, were taxpayers who had filed a 2019 or 2020 tax return.

10 of millions of Americans received their direct payment by April 15, that is two and a half weeks after the legislation was signed into law by President Trump.

Second payment?

Millions of Americans have been awaiting news of what the next stimulus package will look like. The answers to that question have been speculated on, with Republicans and Democrats speaking out during various interviews or presentations, hinting at when more help may be coming.

20 July 2020, US, Washington: Demonstrators hold letters forming the word 'Heroes' as they demonstrate in support of the passage of the Heroes Act in the Senate, outside the US capitol. Photo: Michael Brochstein/ZUMA
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20 July 2020, US, Washington: Demonstrators hold letters forming the word 'Heroes' as they demonstrate in support of the passage of the Heroes Act in the Senate, outside the US capitol. Photo: Michael Brochstein/ZUMADPA vía Europa Press

It is well known that the Republican-controlled Senate will not pass the HEROES Act, a $3 trillion bill that was passed by the House of Representatives, but they will announce the proposal of their own bill designed to help millions of unemployed Americans who are struggling to make ends meet while the coronavirus crisis continues to get worse.

Republican shift

Speaking to reporters earlier this week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell claimed that his draft proposal will have “fairly significant support” from Republican Senators, who were the main voices of opposition when a second aid package was proposed back in May. He acknowledges that “probably not everyone” would get behind it. The proposal is expected to include a stimulus check and payroll tax cuts. The details of the check and how much it will be and who will be eligible still however remain unclear.

The HEROES Act, which was passed by the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives planned to issue another round of $1,200 checks as well as $1,200 for dependents with a maximum of $6,000 per family.