WASHINGTON - Top congressional leaders appear closer to an agreement on a long-delayed COVID-19 relief package, hoping to seal an agreement as early as Wednesday that would extend aid to individuals and businesses and help ship coronavirus vaccines to millions.Sen.
Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., a coauthor of a $908 billion bipartisan package, said leadership negotiators are closing in on an agreement that would extend direct payments of $500-$600 to most Americans but would deny Democratic negotiators long-sought aid to state and local governments.
Manchin credited his bipartisan group with facilitating the breakthrough.“I think they’re basically now putting it all together," Manchin said on CNN. “We were able to break the gridlock.”A file image.