Coronavirus stimulus checks: Why is September 14 the next crucial date?

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Until late last month and early this month, the next crucial date for the stimulus checks was believed to be September 8, i.e. when the Senate returned after a month-long recess. We are now nearing mid-September, and still, there is no deal. Now, the next crucial date with regard to the coronavirus stimulus checks is believed to be September 14.

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Why is September 14 crucial for coronavirus stimulus checks?

As was expected, September 8 was an eventful day. Senate Republicans introduced the so-called skinny proposal and announced a vote on Thursday. On Thursday, however, this skinny bill failed to get enough votes, and things were back to square one.

The hopes of another relief package are now fading fast, but many still believe a bipartisan deal may come soon. Such people see September 14 as the next crucial date for the coronavirus stimulus checks.

It is the date on which the House of Representatives is scheduled to reconvene. The House went on recess on August 7, but briefly returned for a day last month to pass legislation regarding the US Postal Service.

This date (September 14) is also crucial because on Monday House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer announced that the House won’t hold any votes until September 14, according to Axios. However, the members are on 24-hour notice to fly to Washington D.C in case the two sides reach a deal on the next stimulus package.

Hoyer, in a statement, said that the House passed the HEROES Act three months back to provide relief to Americans, but the Republicans “have refused to act."

Hoyer also called the Congress to agree on a deal on government funding before its expiry on September 30. "We cannot risk a government shutdown in the middle of a pandemic and an economic crisis," he said.

Congress needs to act fast

We have already seen some action this week on the next relief package. First, on Tuesday, when Senate Republicans introduced the $500 billion slimmed-down proposals, and then on Thursday, the bill failed to get the needed 60 votes in the Senate.

Now, any more action on the next coronavirus stimulus package and stimulus checks is unlikely until September 14. If there is no deal on the stimulus package next week, then Americans are unlikely to get stimulus checks this month.

Congress doesn’t have much time to pass the next stimulus package. The lawmakers are again scheduled to leave Washington in October to prepare for the election, which is on November 3.

Hopefully, the two sides will bridge their differences over a relief package in the next two weeks. Currently, the two sides are $900 billion apart – $2.2 trillion demanded by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and the White House ready to offer $1.3 trillion.