No payroll tax cut: The White House dropped its demand to have a payroll tax cut included in the package after the idea met continued resistance from key Senate allies.

Later Friday, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters she could not explain the specifics of how Inhofe may modify the approved bill, or the specific provision on military bases.

The votes are more than the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto from Trump, who has threatened that he might take such an action this month.

The long-delayed legislation comes amid alarming developments on the virus crisis.

Sources have told media outlets-like CNN and the New York Times-that delay is due to disagreement between the White House and Senate Republicans on the future of enhanced unemployment benefits.

Meanwhile, the United States on Thursday enforced sanctions on 2 Venezuelans over allegations they assisted support the federal government and kid of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the most recent actions by Washington targeting the socialist leader.

But with Republicans and the Trump administration failing to reach a fuller agreement on the next coronavirus relief bill, which would trigger negotiations with Democrats, some 25 million Americans will, this weekend, qualify for their last $600 expanded unemployment checks.

Democrats are seeking to provide almost $1 trillion for states - the same level of spending that the GOP is aiming in its opening coronavirus relief plan.

Most importantly, the new proposal includes another round of $1,200 payments to most American adults.

US President Donald Trump has signed four executive orders aiming at lowering prices that people pay for prescription drugs as he faces an uphill re-election battle and criticism over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

But numerous Republicans have said they do not support a payroll tax cut now. Sen.

"We can not allow there to be a cliff in unemployment insurance given we're still at about 11% unemployment", said Sen.

Trump in a tweet blamed Democrats for scuttling the payroll tax cut. Instead, McConnell and some Republicans prefer another round of direct $1,200 cash payments to Americans.

If local public schools don't reopen, the money should go to parents to send their children to other schools or teach them at home, Trump said.

Other elements include an increased deduction for business meals from 50% to 100% in what appears to be an effort to encourage dining at restaurants. They called it biased against Muslims, whose entry into the country Trump first suggested blocking during his 2016 White House run. There will also be $26 billion for vaccines and $15 billion for research programs at the National Institutes of Health. In McConnell's package, the money for K-12 would be split between those that have in-person learning and those that don't.

"We can not allow there to be a cliff in unemployment insurance given we're still at about 11% unemployment", said Sen.

Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee, said the nation is on "the eve of an economic catastrophe".

Democrats back a much more sweeping package, including nearly $1 trillion for state and local governments. They want the $600 in extra cash to stay in place.