The second round of stimulus is not part of the $908 billion stimulus plan proposed Tuesday in a bipartisan effort to end the months-long spending stalemate in Congress

But there is good news and bad news for those who fear that passage of the new plan will kill any hope for a second $1,200 stimulus package The good news is that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already rejected the plan (via CNBC) The bad news is that the bipartisan framework provided assistance to small businesses, the unemployed, and agencies on the front lines of the coronavirus response

The plan allocated billions of dollars to small businesses, government, education, transportation, and tools to fight coronavirus Of particular note is a $300 per week increase in federal unemployment benefits, which expire at the end of the year

Nevertheless, this is less than the $600 per week provided in the CARES Act of March, and less than what Democratic negotiators have sought in the progression of proposed legislation in the past few months

Nevertheless, the $908 billion bill is larger than the $500 billion "skinny" bill McConnell introduced in the Senate in August The proposal fell short of the $22 trillion House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has requested for aid

With record numbers of coronavirus cases and a White House administration change just weeks away, disagreements over spending have left lawmakers unable to find a new remedy

President-elect Joe Biden has called on Congress to pass a coronavirus relief package by Inauguration Day, but the move would require compromise with the outgoing Trump administration

According to Politico, Biden has expressed support for the Democrats' $2 trillion spending plan That plan included a stimulus check2 in the amount of $1,200 under the same framework as the first stimulus check

If the plan does not materialize until Biden is elected, his administration faces an uphill battle Biden's administration must pass the Republican-led Senate, and unless Democrats win both Senate seats from Georgia in a runoff election in early January, any major spending bill will require bipartisan support