US Senator Doug Jones

Bring their own water bottles.

You are taking a live look at capitol hill this morning!

Congressional leaders are still mulling over a new stimulus package.

Marie house speaker nancy pelosi and senate minority leader chuck schumer will meet with white house chief-of-staff mark meadows and treasury secretary steve mnuchin for the 7th time today.

They say they'll try to make a deal by the end of the week.

Joining us now live via zoom is alabama senator doug jones.

Senator jones - welcome back.

Good morning.

The main sticking point is over the expired enhanced unemployment benefits.

What number do you expect it to land on $200 or $600 dollars per week?

Do business owners have a point arguing it should be lower to encourage workers not to stay at home and make more money from the government and get back to work?

On a separate note: it seems like both sides are in agreement over a second stimulus payment of up to12-hundred dollars.

Other benefits that are still on the table, include an employee retention tax break, and payroll protection how likely are they to be include in the plan?

And we understand whatever is agreed to, it is expected to last the rest of the year -0 getting us through the elections correct?

How confident are you that there will be an agreement to be voted on next week?

Schools opening, we know you met with schoolleaders and parents, as rates of positive cases continue and we are trying to reduce the spread - especially children potentiallying bring the virus home, to go up, should any schools be reopened?