Business & Economy

On The Money: GOP turning against new round of $1,200 rebate checks | Millions of Americans frustrated by delayed unemployment checks | Senate votes to give coronavirus relief program more flexibility

Welcome back to On The Money. I’m Sylvan Lane, and here’s your nightly guide to everything affecting your bills, bank account and bottom line.

See something I missed? Let me know at slane@digital-release.thehill.com or tweet me @SylvanLane. And if you like your newsletter, you can subscribe to it here: http://bit.ly/1NxxW2N.

Write us with tips, suggestions and news: slane@digital-release.thehill.com, njagoda@digital-release.thehill.com and nelis@digital-release.thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @SylvanLane, @NJagoda and @NivElis.

THE BIG DEAL—Republicans turning against new round of $1,200 rebate checks: Republican lawmakers are voicing deep skepticism about passing another round of $1,200 rebate checks as they contemplate the next and possibly final stage of coronavirus relief legislation.

The Hill’s Alexander Bolton tells us why.

LEADING THE DAY

Millions of Americans frustrated by delayed unemployment checks: Millions of Americans are still waiting for their first unemployment checks after months of waiting for state systems to clear unprecedented backlogs. 

The shortfalls in state budgets have left thousands of vulnerable Americans who qualify for the benefits facing immediate pressure and financial issues that could persist long after the pandemic. 

“There are states that have actively been trying to improve their systems but for some reasons workers are having more trouble accessing benefits than they had historically,” said Michele Evermore, senior policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project, a nonprofit that advocates for stronger labor protections.

“This is a national problem. There’s no state system that hasn’t fallen victim to this in some way,” she added.

I explain why here.

Senate passes bill to give flexibility for small business coronavirus aid program: The Senate passed legislation on Wednesday to provide more flexibility for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which provides help for small businesses amid the steep economic impact of the coronavirus.

The bill, which would extend the window for businesses to be able to spend loans granted under the program, passed the Senate by unanimous consent. The bill already passed the House last month, meaning it now goes to President Trump‘s desk. 

“Today we’re passing another piece of legislation that makes a few targeted changes to the program,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced from the floor. “I’m proud the Senate is sending it on to the president’s desk to become law.”

The Hill’s Jordain Carney tells us how we got here.

GOOD TO KNOW