Republicans introduce $1tn pandemic recovery plan

Republicans have proposed spending an additional $1tn (£776bn) to address the economic damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The plan includes $100bn for schools and issuing stimulus payments of up to $1,200 to most Americans, reports BBC.

Under the plan, the payment would replace a $600 boost to unemployment benefits during the pandemic.

The proposal sets the stage for negotiations with Democrats who have called it "totally inadequate".

The US has already spent more than $2.4tn on virus relief measures, sending billions of dollars in aid to businesses and individual households. But economists have warned since the spring that more would be necessary.

Senator Mitch McConnell said Republicans wanted to see how existing programmes were working, but had now produced a "tailored and targeted draft" to address the economic fallout of the pandemic.

The proposal would reduce the $600 weekly unemployment benefit supplement to $200 until states can set up a more targeted system that replaces 70% of a person's previous wage.