Bipartisan group of lawmakers unveils $908 billion COVID stimulus proposal

• First-time unemployment applications rose again over the Thanksgiving holiday, and 26 million Americans in late October and early November said they didn't have enough food.

Timing: The framework drops hours before Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plan to discuss coronavirus relief — their first talks since October.

The big picture: Most lawmakers still see only a small chance for passage of a comprehensive relief package before the end of the year, given how far apart Republicans and Democrats remain on key priorities.

• President-elect Joe Biden has said that he wants Congress to pass coronavirus relief before he takes office in January.
• Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday McConnell said he has been talking to House minority leader Kevin McCarthy, Mnuchin and chief of staff Mark Meadows about a COVID relief bill that could gain Trump's support.

Breakdown of the proposed funding:

• State and local: $160 billion
• Additional unemployment insurance: $180 billion

• Small business Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), EIDL and restaurants: $288 billion
• Transportation: $45 billion
• Vaccine development, distribution and testing: $16 billion
• Healthcare provider relief fund: $35 billion
• Education: $82 billion
• Student loans: $4 billion
• Housing assistance: $25 billion
• Nutrition/Agriculture: $26 billion
• U.S. Postal Service: $10 billion
• Child care: $10 billion
• Broadband: $10 billion
• Opioid treatment: $5 billion

The plan also provides short-term federal protection from coronavirus-related lawsuits.

Read the framework via DocumentCloud.

This post has been updated with comments from Mitch McConnell.