Washington, D.C. — A coronavirus relief package worth 908-billion dollars was unveiled Monday in Congress, which has until the end of this week to pass it along with a long-term spending plan, but Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley remains skeptical.
Grassley, a Republican, couldn’t say with any confidence that the massive measure would win approval in both chambers before Friday.
(As above) “It should pass, that’s my opinion,” Grassley says. “People are in need and there’s so much that has bipartisan agreement, but a couple of big things that have no bipartisan agreement might hold it up and maybe we won’t get one before Christmas.”
Grassley says there’s disagreement over issues like how much federal aid should go to state governments, and whether to squelch lawsuits some consider frivolous which were filed over COVID-19. He says there are many elements on the table that have broad, bipartisan support and they should all focus on those, starting with extending unemployment benefits.
(As above) “Helping small businesses stay open and keep their employees on the payroll like we did in the spring,” Grassley says. “More (COVID) testing, more money for the distribution of the vaccines, and help for K-through-12 education.”
The measure, in its latest incarnation, does -not- include direct payments to virtually all Americans, as the initial relief package did earlier this year.
(As above) “That’s right, as far as I can tell,” Grassley says. “There’s a few senators, at least one Republican, one Democrat, thinks it should have something go directly to everybody, whether they’re unemployed or not.”
Speed in passing the measure is critical. It’s estimated as many as 12-million Americans could lose their unemployment benefits on December 26th, while millions more may face eviction as protections for renters are also expiring.
