Senate Republicans have introduced a $500 billion "skinny" coronavirus relief bill that does not include a stimulus package.

However, Americans may no longer receive direct payments unless Democrats pass their own bill, even though support for the Republican proposal remains uncertain.

Before negotiations between Democrats, Senate Republicans, and Trump administration officials fizzled last month, all parties had largely agreed on the details of a second stimulus package.

The House-passed HEROES Act and the Senate-passed HEALS Act would pay $1,200 to taxpayers already receiving relief under the March CARES Act. Both bills would extend benefits to adult dependents age 16 and older, including college students and seniors.

However, Democrats and the White House are at odds over how much to spend on the overall second stimulus package and which benefits to fund.

The Democratic HEROES Act, which passed the House in May, would cost over $3 trillion (much more than the CARES Act), restart the $600 weekly unemployment benefit supplemental that ended on July 31, and pump billions of dollars into tax-strapped local and state governments.

In August, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said Democrats would be willing to discount $1 trillion.

The Republican HEALS Act, proposed in July, would cost about $1.1 trillion, protect businesses from liability related to coronavirus infections, and cut supplemental unemployment benefits to $200 per week.

Last week, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the White House would be willing to put up to $1.5 trillion, approaching Pelosi's recent proposal of $2.2 trillion.

But to have any hope for stimulus check 2, Democrats must resume stalled negotiations with the White House to overcome a $700 billion gap in total spending.

The new Republican "skinny" bill raises additional unemployment benefits to $300 per week, but drops the stimulus checks, maintains corporate responsibility protections, and adds funding for schools and the US Postal Service.

The $500 billion "skinny" bill is a far cry from the Democrats' current proposal, and The Hill notes that Republicans are losing political clout as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) struggles to rally Republican senators in support of the bill He noted.

Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) have refused to consider "skinny" bills that exclude stimulus checks.

Meanwhile, Politico reports that the focus in Washington may soon shift to avoiding a government shutdown at the end of the month, making passage of a second stimulus bill even less likely.

The Senate voted Thursday on whether to move forward with the "skinny" bill. As expected, it was rejected 52-47. Because of the filibuster rule, 60 votes are needed to pass almost anything in the Senate these days.

All 44 Democrats and two Independents present voted "no," and Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) also thought the bill was too expensive. Fifty-two Republican Senators voted for passage of the bill. Democratic vice presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris (R-Calif.) was campaigning in Florida and was not present for the vote.

Still, the 52 votes in favor of moving forward with the "skinny" bill may be the symbolic victory McConnell hoped for. McConnell hopes that winning a majority vote in the Senate will put pressure on Pelosi and Schumer to make concessions in the HEROES-HEALS negotiations.