GOP Releases Coronavirus Relief Proposal After Delay

Senate Republicans rolled out a roughly $1 trillion coronavirus relief bill proposal. The Republican plan cuts the current federal $600 weekly unemployment supplement to $200 a week through September, when the payment will then combine with state benefits to replace 70% of previous wages. Democrats have proposed continuing through January the current $600-a-week supplement, which costs about $15 billion a week. To help schools and universities, Republicans proposed offering $105 billion to cover the costs of operating during a pandemic, with some of the aid only available to schools that plan to physically reopen. Senate Democrats have proposed allocating $430 billion for schools—including $50 billion for child-care facilities—to acquire personal protective equipment, implement other health measures and bolster education, whether in-person or online. The Council of Chief State Schools Officers Executive Director Carissa Moffat Miller said she appreciated the $70 billion in aid but was deeply concerned about how two-thirds of the K-12 education money was contingent on in-person classes. "It is important to know that nearly all schools will reopen in some way this fall, whether in person, remotely, or a combination of both," Miller said in a statement. "Additional federal resources are critical to serve students in every learning environment, from necessary PPE and health and safety protocols for safe in-person instruction to broadband and connectivity in the home for successful remote learning."