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The US Congressional Republicans and Democrats appear to be drifting even farther apart on every aspect of the government’s coronavirus response. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, “I don’t think we have yet felt the urgency of acting immediately”. He was reminding people of the fact that the federal government has yet to roll out billions of dollars in aid from previous bills. Republicans don’t want to vote on any follow-up coronavirus relief legislation until at least June. Democrat leaders said they assess the efficacy of previous legislation. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has announced a sweeping package worth more than $3 trillion. It would send another round of $1,200 stimulus checks to every American, increase food stamp benefits; expand mail-in voting, and providing billions of dollars in aid to states and local governments.

A Senate Finance Committee aide informed NBC News that the bill would be DOA in the Senate. The panel’s GOP chairman, Chuck Grassley of Iowa said, “We will work with his colleagues on Phase 4 legislation if it becomes necessary. It’s too early to say what that legislation might encompass. It would need to address any ongoing problems in an effective manner”. It clearly indicates the Americans should not expect another round of stimulus checks to show up in their bank accounts anytime soon. The item for the second round of stimulus checks in the $3 trillion bills introduced is modeled largely off the program that sent most American adults $1,200 direct payments beginning in April. The new bill will not renew the program for another round of direct payments, but would beef it up for families with more than two children and fixes certain issues for mixed native and immigrant families.

The House Democrats are calling the new bill as the “Heroes Act.” Point to be noted that Americans making less than $75,000 individually or $150,000 as a married couple would receive an additional $1,200 for every dependent, regardless of age, claimed on their most recent tax filing, up to $6,000 per family. The CARES Act passed in March only provided $500 for each child under 17. The new proposal would also send checks to every qualified person on a tax return, even if one spouse wasn’t a US citizen. A group of US citizens whose undocumented spouses prevented their families from receiving stimulus checks has sued the Trump administration over their exclusion from the program.