THE second round of stimulus checks might not come for at least a month if Senate cannot agree a deal by this Friday.
The lawmakers go into recess on August 7 and do not resume until September 8.
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However, on Saturday the Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that progress had been made on the decision.
“This was the longest meeting we’ve had and it was more productive than the other meetings,” he said.
“We’re not close yet, but it was a productive discussion — now each side knows where they’re at.”
Schumer spoke alongside House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after meeting for three hours with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.
One week ago, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell unveiled the Republicans’ $1trillion coronavirus relief plan on Monday, prompting Americans to ask when they’ll receive their stimulus payments.
Meadows said on Thursday: “I’m not very optimistic that we will have any kind of an agreement on a comprehensive bill in the near future.”
McConnell tweeted on Thursday evening: “Democrats are holding up urgent help for struggling people over completely unrelated liberal wish-list items, like massive tax cuts for rich people in blue states.
“Economists across the spectrum say it’s a terrible idea. This is how serious they are about these negotiations.”
However, he told the Washington Post: “Hopefully we can come together behind some package we can agree on in the next few weeks.”
If lawmakers make the decision before the August 7 recess – and President Donald Trump signs off on the act right away – the next checks could be sent in August.
A CNET model based on the first round of coronavirus relief payments in April, Americans can expect funds to start being released the week of August 24.
