A bipartisan group of House and Senate members issued a $900 billion COVID-19 economic stimulus and spending proposal this week, primarily as an effort to break the log jam between the more generous House-passed $2.2 trillion HEROES legislation and the $500 billion “skinny” proposal favored by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). The hope is that this package can ride along with the federal spending legislation referenced above and provide interim relief while a larger, more comprehensive package is worked out in the new year. Here are some details on the proposal:

• $160 billion for state, local, and tribal governments
• $180 billion for additional unemployment insurance ($300 per week)
• $288 billion for small business support through the Paycheck Protection Program
• $12 billion in community lender support
• $45 billion for transportation (airlines, airports, buses, transit and Amtrak)
• $16 billion for vaccine development and distribution, testing and contact tracing
• $35 billion for the Health Care Provider Relief Fund
• $82 billion for education
• $4 billion for student loans
• $25 billion for housing/rental assistance
• $10 billion for childcare
• $5 billion for opioid treatment.