Bipartisan COVID 19 Stimulus Relief Bill Minus State/Local Aid and Direct Payments Inches Closer to Agreement

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Bipartisan Problem Solver Democrat and Republican Senators have decided the best way to move forward on the next round of COVID 19 relief legislation is to split the newest measure into two bills.

The first Coronavirus Relief/Stimulus Legislation would be just under $750 billion and include funding for:

• Extended and expanded Unemployment Insurance.
• Small business assistance.
• Emergency food assistance.
• Rural and fisheries aid.
• Extending the moratorium on evictions and federal student loan payments.
• Healthcare provider relief including for those in rural communities.
• COVID 19 testing, contact tracing, and vaccine distribution.
• Social insurance assistance to low income and minority communities affected by the Coronavirus Pandemic.
• Education funding.
• Child Care assistance.
• Broadband.
• The transportation sector including the railways and airline industries.

The other bill which is approximately $160 billion would provide some liability protection for businesses and individuals related to COVID 19 and aid to state and local governments.

Direct payment to Americans like the $1200 checks distributed last spring is not included in either bill.

The emerging consensus is that the $750 billion bill will pass, possibly as an attachment to the overall Government funding bill.

The $160 billion measure, where most Republicans are opposed to the aid to state and local government and most Democrats do not favor the liability protection would likely have to wait until the Biden/Harris comes to power on January 20, 2021, when they present their own COVID 19 relief bill for the late winter/early spring.

While there is much to recommend in the $750 billion measure, it is a shame most  Republicans would not agree to including state and local government aid and direct payments to American Citizens in the bill.

That written, Congress should pass the $750 measure so vital aid gets to the people, small businesses, medical centers, schools, and other important sectors of the economy.

Hopefully, the state and local government aid and direct payments to the people will be included in the COVID 19 stimulus the Biden/Harris Administration agrees to with Congress in 2021.

Hopefully.