Senators behind the bipartisan $908 billion COVID-19 stimulus plan said they are close to an agreement, with one Republican saying it's one that even Trump and McConnell could back

mark warner joe manchin bipartisan 908 billion covid-19 stimulus — Democratic Sens. Mark Warner and Joe Manchin at a news conference on Capitol Hill on December 1, 2020.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

A bipartisan group of senators have said that the final details of their $908 billion COVID-19 stimulus plan could be finalized early this week.
GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy told Fox News that President Donald Trump had "indicated" he would support it, and expressed optimism that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would too.
Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat, told CNN that the final wording of the plan could be ready as early as Monday.
But so far, despite calling for bipartisanship, McConnell has not shifted his position from supporting a much smaller package.
Both Republican and Democrat senators have started to line up behind the $908 billion package, with Warner telling CNN he thinks it has the numbers to pass.
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Senators are inching closer to an agreement on the final wording of a bipartisan $908 billion COVID-19 stimulus plan, with some expressing confidence that both Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and President Donald Trump would back it.

Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, who is one of the ten-person cross-party group crafting the plan, told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday that the wording could be finalized as early as Monday.

"I think we have got the top line numbers done. We are working right now on language so that we can have - as early as tomorrow - a piece of legislation," he said.

He added that he has "pretty high assurance" that the final proposal would have enough votes to pass.

The $908 billion package is currently the COVID-19 relief option with the most bipartisan support. Leading Democratic figures such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have embraced it, as well as some Republicans.

Though McConnell has called for bipartisanship in stimulus negotiations, he is sticking to his own package, which is based on a much smaller bill that has twice failed to pass this fall.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican senator in the bipartisan group behind the package, expressed optimism that support from figures like McConnell and Trump would be forthcoming.

He told Fox News Sunday that Trump had signaled willingness. "President Trump has indicated that he would sign a $908 billion package. There's only one $908 billion package out there, that's ours."

Cassidy added that he was "optimistic" about McConnell's support.

Cassidy did not say where he had learned of Trump's indication of support. At a Thursday press conference the president had said he would support a bill, but when asked for clarification, the White House said he had meant the much slimmer one promoted by McConnell.

"Now, neither have said: 'Oh, we'll sign your bill,'" Cassidy told Fox News.

"That's fair, we have final language [to agree on]," he said, adding that the urgency of the situation will be clear to Trump and McConnell.

That wording is likely to come out "early this week," Cassidy said.

trump mcconnell scotus rbg state of the union — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and President Donald Trump huddle after the State of the Union Address on February 4, 2020 in Washington, DC.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

The detail around two main points remain a source of disagreement in the negotiations, CNN reported, citing unnamed sources.

According to the outlet, the first is liability protections for businesses in the pandemic, which the GOP supports. The second is funding demanded by the Democratic Party for state and local governments, CNN said.

Both measures were included in some form in a draft that circulated last week. It also included a $288 billion small-business loan program, $180 billion added to unemployment insurance, and $16 billion for coronavirus vaccine distribution.

The bipartisan package does not include $1,200 stimulus checks.

Numerous members of Congress have noted the pressure in the situation, as they rush to agree a separate spending plan to avoid a government shutdown by December 11.

"We don't have a choice now. It's one of those things that has to be done," CNN reported Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin telling NBC.

Meanwhile, the country's pandemic continues to worsen, with 1 million cases added in a single five-day period last week.

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