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US Lawmakers Weigh Yet Another Massive Coronavirus Aid Bill

Katherine Gypson

   WASHINGTON - The U.S. Congress is set to pass a $484 billion interim
   aid bill Thursday, providing stop-gap funding for the $2 trillion CARES
   Act, the largest relief package in U.S. history. But even six weeks of
   record spending from the U.S. government has not been enough to contain
   the damage the coronavirus pandemic has inflicted on the nation's
   economy and public health sector.

   The COVID-19 emergency lockdown has forced millions of Americans into
   applying for unemployment or waiting in line at food banks, while small
   business owners question whether they'll ever reopen their doors.
   Here's an overview of what U.S. lawmakers say is needed in the next
   major aid package intended to restart the economy.

   Extensive wish list

   Before lawmakers had even passed the bill they are referring to as
   COVID 3, the to-do list for COVID 4 was growing.

   "COVID 4 will be much more along the lines of COVID 2, big, bold,
   robust, with new things in it," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer
   said Tuesday. "It's going to have a lot of stuff, but I want to mention
   a few of the priorities that I have: Election reform, money for
   housing; there's three months of rent forbearance but what do people do
   after that? The postal service, money for a heroes fund, people who are
   on the front lines, they should get extra money, and at the top of the
   list is a big, robust state and local plan."

   U.S. President Donald Trump has also already begun outlining his wish
   list for the proposal, tweeting, "We will begin discussions on the next
   Legislative Initiative with fiscal relief to State/Local Governments
   for lost revenues from COVID 19, much needed Infrastructure Investments
   for Bridges, Tunnels, Broadband, Tax Incentives for Restaurants,
   Entertainment, Sports, and Payroll Tax Cuts to increase Economic
   Growth."

   The broad outlines of that plan have bipartisan support. Many of the
   initiatives outlined in Trump's tweet were floated by House Speaker
   Nancy Pelosi in press calls earlier this month. Pelosi called for fixes
   to underlying problems brought into focus by the crisis, including the
   need to fix the nation's crumbling roads and bridges and development of
   rural broadband technology.

   Aid for state and local governments

   But the most immediate need will be one that congressional Democrats
   tried -- and failed -- to address in the recent stop-gap measure: aid
   to state and local governments.

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