U.S. lawmakers debate on new COVID-19 aid legislation

FILE PHOTO: A person wearing a mask walks through Chinatown in New York, U.S., February 13, 2020. /Reuters

U.S. lawmakers and officials from the White House on Tuesday held negotiations aimed at crafting an agreement on new COVID-19 aid legislation as the country continues to see an upsurge in infections and deaths.

The Republican-led Senate and Democratic-controlled House of Representatives have two weeks to strike a deal on a legislative package before assistance runs out for tens of millions of Americans rendered jobless by the pandemic.

Reuters however reports that the two sides differed on how much money to spend and which priorities to spend it on.

The U.S. remains the world's worst affected country by the global health pandemic, having reported more than 3.8 million infections and over 141,000 fatalities by Tuesday afternoon, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University.

The figures represent 26 percent of the global infections and 23 percent of the total deaths.

In their latest submissions, Democrats have proposed that $175 million be allocated to elementary and secondary schools to help them cope with the pandemic. They are also determined to fight for provisions in a $3 trillion bill that passed the House in May and includes aid to state and local governments, extended unemployment insurance and protections for workers.

"An outcome will require bipartisan discussions. I do not believe there will be anything in our bill that our Democratic colleagues should not happily support," Reuters quotes McConnell.

But Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called on Republicans to begin negotiating with House and Senate Democrats now. "I urge all of my Republican colleagues to abandon their one-party, one-chamber approach before it's too late and immediately begin bipartisan, bicameral negotiations," he said.