Coronavirus phase 4 stimulus bill key priorities: ‘Kids, jobs and health care'
Sen. Mitch McConnell also said no bill would pass Senate unless it included liability protection
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday that lawmakers would begin debating the details of a “Phase 4” stimulus bill next week, which would focus on a handful of key priorities.
Speaking in Kentucky, McConnell said no bill would pass the Senate without liability protection “for everyone related to the coronavirus.” Those protections, he said, would likely cover a period extending from December 2019 through 2024, and include doctors, hospitals, nurses, businesses and schools, among other institutions.
“Nobody should have to face an epidemic of lawsuits on the heels of the pandemic that we already had related to the coronavirus,” McConnell said.
MCCONNELL WILL PRESENT CORONAVIRUS STIMULUS PACKAGE TO REPUBLICANS NEXT WEEK
McConnell said the “emphasis” for remaining provisions in the bill would be on "kids, jobs and health care."
Whether to reopen schools is a hot topic in states and municipalities throughout the U.S., but McConnell said the country would not return to “normal” unless kids return to school.
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Multiple administration officials have said another relief package would focus on jobs – from bringing back jobs to encouraging jobless individuals to seek out new employment opportunities.
During an interview with FOX Business on Monday, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow reiterated the idea of providing a back-to-work bonus, which would reward people for returning to the labor force.
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There is also discussion about providing another round of direct payments to households in a more targeted manner. Officials have suggested focusing the payments on lower-income and unemployed individuals, and Kudlow has said the checks will be less than $1,200.