WASHINGTON—A sharp decline in job growth in November further prodded lawmakers to reach an agreement on coronavirus relief, as negotiators hurried to craft a bill before a government funding deadline at the end of next week.
Fitful efforts to pass another aid package came back to life this week when a bipartisan group of rank-and-file lawmakers rolled out a $908 billion proposal, and top Democrats on Capitol Hill quickly said the plan should be the framework for negotiations going forward.
Several aid programs instituted in the spring expire at the end of year, squeezing lawmakers to pass more relief after months of failed negotiations.
Members of both parties pointed to Friday’s jobs report as further impetus for quick action. Employers added 245,000 jobs last month, less than half the 610,00 jobs added in October, and the unemployment rate dropped slightly to 6.7%. Many Americans are seeing temporary furloughs become permanent.
“We had some not-so-good news on the job front that further necessitates our taking action,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) said at a news conference Friday.
