WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers on Monday unveiled a two-part 908-billion-U.S.-dollar COVID-19 relief package, as many Americans are set to lose pandemic relief benefits by the end of 2020.
The relief package is spilt into two parts: a bill that outlines a wide range of relief spending totaling 748 billion dollars, and another piece that provides 160 billion dollars to state and local governments with COVID-19-related liability protections, according to Joe Manchin, a Democratic senator from West Virginia and one of the bipartisan negotiators.
It is not clear whether the Democratic and Republican leadership will take up these bipartisan bills amid differences over liability protections and funding for state and local governments.
Despite a surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, Democratic and Republican lawmakers have been deadlocked for months over the size and scope of the relief package.
"These bills are truly a Christmas miracle, but it shouldn't take a miracle for Congress to do its job. I urge my colleagues to pass these bills & to keep this bipartisan spirit going into the new year & beyond," he tweeted.