Senate Democrats reached a deal on unemployment payments on Friday evening after an hours-long delay snagged the nearly $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill.
Democrats will offer a proposal to provide a $300 per week unemployment payment through Sept. 6, according to a Democratic aide. The deal would also make the first $10,200 of benefits non-taxable for households with an income less than $150,000.
The deal comes as the Senate has been stuck in limbo for hours as Democrats tried to craft an agreement that could get 50 votes within the caucus. The deal could let the Senate quickly resume its marathon voting session, known as a vote-a-rama, after it was paused following just one vote on whether to include a minimum wage hike.
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Sen. Joe Manchin
Joseph (Joe) ManchinOvernight Defense: Capitol Police may ask National Guard to stay | Biden's Pentagon policy nominee faces criticism | Naval Academy midshipmen moved to hotels Progressives won't oppose bill over limits on stimulus checks Senate votes to take up COVID-19 relief bill MORE (D-W.Va.), who was at the center of the hours-long holdup, threw his support behind the deal.
“We have reached a compromise that enables the economy to rebound quickly while also protecting those receiving unemployment benefits from being hit with unexpected tax bill next year," he said.
"Those making less than $150,000 and receiving unemployment will be eligible for a $10,200 tax break. Unemployment benefits will be extended through the end of August," he added.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden
Ronald (Ron) Lee WydenProgressives won't oppose bill over limits on stimulus checks GOP pulling out all the stops to delay COVID-19 package Overnight Health Care: Biden slams Texas, Mississippi for lifting coronavirus restrictions: 'Neanderthal thinking' | Senate panel splits along party lines on Becerra |Over 200K sign up for ACA plans during Biden special enrollment period MORE (D-Ore.) was more cautious, saying that he didn’t want to get ahead of himself after the earlier setback, but that “we’ve made a lot of progress.”
Wyden said the agreement reached Friday evening would let Congress "avoid the August cliff," a reference to concerns that lawmakers would set the expiration for the payments while they were in the middle of a scheduled August recess.
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Under the House bill, Congress would have given a $400 per week payment but had it expire at the end of August, when members are not expected to be in town.
The deal comes after the Senate effectively paused for roughly eight hours as Democrats tried to get buy-in from Manchin. Democrats started a vote on Sen. Bernie Sanders
Bernie SandersABC names new deputy political director, weekend White House correspondent Ron Johnson forces reading of 628-page Senate coronavirus relief bill on floor GOP pulling out all the stops to delay COVID-19 package MORE's (I-Vt.) minimum wage amendment at 11:03 a.m., with the vote remaining open well into the evening.
It marked a chaotic start to the debate over the coronavirus bill, which Democrats hope to pass this weekend.
Democrats had initially announced on Friday that they had an agreement. Under that initial deal, Sen. Tom Carper
Thomas (Tom) Richard CarperBiden to meet with bipartisan lawmakers on infrastructure Five takeaways from dramatic Capitol security hearing Democrats worry Senate will be graveyard for Biden agenda MORE (D-Del.) was offering an amendment that would provide the $300 per week payment until early October. It also made the first $10,200 non-taxable but did not put a cap on the income for households that could qualify.
Democrats had characterized Carper's amendment as a deal between moderate and progressive factions, underscoring the balancing act of their narrow majority. In the narrow 50-50 majority, Majority Leader Charles Schumer
Chuck SchumerRon Johnson forces reading of 628-page Senate coronavirus relief bill on floor Senate panel splits along party lines on Becerra House Democrats' ambitious agenda set to run into Senate blockade MORE (D-N.Y.) needed every member of his caucus to support an agreement on unemployment payments in order for it to get into the bill, which allows Manchin or another senator to make eleventh-hour demands.
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But it quickly became clear that Democrats had rolled out the deal too quickly and without a key vote locked down: Manchin, the most conservative member of the caucus.
Republican senators said they thought they had Manchin's support for a competing GOP amendment from Sen. Rob Portman
Robert (Rob) Jones PortmanMandel gets Club for Growth nod in Ohio Senate primary Rick Scott caught in middle of opposing GOP factions Five takeaways from dramatic Capitol security hearing MORE (R-Ohio) that would have provided a federal unemployment payment of $300 per week though mid-July.
“I feel bad for Joe Manchin. I hope the Geneva Convention applies,” Sen. John Thune
John Randolph ThuneRon Johnson grinds Senate to halt, irritating many Rick Scott caught in middle of opposing GOP factions Democrats cut deals to bolster support for relief bill MORE (S.D.), the Senate GOP whip, told reporters, predicting that all 50 GOP senators would support Portman’s proposal if Manchin would vote for it.
Manchin was spotted huddling on the floor with Portman. He was also surrounded by Democratic Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.), Jon Tester
Jonathan (Jon) TesterMellman: How the Senate decided impeachment Senate Democrats negotiating changes to coronavirus bill Senate mulls changes to .9 trillion coronavirus bill MORE (Mont.), Catherine Cortez Masto
Catherine Marie Cortez MastoRosen to lead Senate Democrats' efforts to support female candidates OVERNIGHT ENERGY: House Democrats reintroduce road map to carbon neutrality by 2050 | Kerry presses oil companies to tackle climate change | Biden delays transfer of sacred lands for copper mine The Hill's 12:30 Report: Mars rover prepares for landing MORE (Nev.) and Democratic Whip Dick Durbin
Dick DurbinWhat's worse, violence on the left or the right? It's a dangerous question Garland's AG nomination delayed by GOP roadblocks National Sheriffs' Association backs Biden pick for key DOJ role MORE (Ill.).
As the hours dragged on, senators told The Hill that President Biden
Joe BidenTrump State Department appointee arrested in connection with Capitol riot FireEye finds evidence Chinese hackers exploited Microsoft email app flaw since January Biden officials to travel to border amid influx of young migrants MORE was actively calling Manchin to discuss the unemployment language with him. One senator told The Hill that by mid-afternoon they had already been on the phone two or three times. Manchin, asked about the comments, declined to comment.
But Manchin also kept his colleagues guessing, with Durbin telling reporters hours into the standoff that he didn’t ultimately know how Manchin would come down.
Once the Senate moves forward, Wyden said that they would vote on both the Democratic deal and Portman's amendment.
"I think it's going to come down to two choices for senators, there's a Portman amendment. This bill sets an arbitrary date," Wyden said. "The other proposal will be the Carper-Wyden proposal ... and it's going to avoid the August cliff."
Updated: 9:02 p.m.
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