Bipartisan relief package gains steam
Democrats not likely to push for state, local aid
WASHINGTON — Top Washington negotiators continued to reach for a long-delayed agreement on COVID-19 relief Monday, but rank-and-file Democrats appeared increasingly resigned to having to drop, for now, a scaled-back demand for fiscal relief for states and local governments.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-calif., spoke with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin by phone Monday evening and continues to press for help for struggling states and localities. But top Democratic allies of President-elect Joe Biden came out in support of a $748 billion plan offered by a bipartisan group of lawmakers and hinted they won’t insist on a pitched battle for state and local aid now.
“We cannot afford to wait any longer to act. This should not be Congress’ last COVID relief bill, but it is a strong compromise that deserves support from both Republicans and Democrats in the Senate,” said Sen. Chris Coons, D-del. “We cannot leave for the holidays without getting relief to those Americans who need it.”
The message from Coons, a confidant of Biden, and a similar message from Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-ill., came as a bipartisan group of lawmakers unveiled a detailed COVID-19 aid proposal Monday in hopes it would serve as a model for their battling leaders to follow as they try to negotiate a final agreement.
But the group was unable to forge a compromise on Gop-sought provisions shielding businesses from Covid-related lawsuits, a key priority of Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mcconnell.
“I found it interesting that they separated out the state and local and liability provisions. Sen. Mcconnell had suggested that earlier,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-texas. “Seems to me that we’re making some progress on it.”
Cornyn, a Mcconnell lieutenant, spoke after a dozen or so lawmakers unveiled two bills.
One is a $748 billion aid package containing money for struggling businesses, the unemployed, schools and vaccine distribution. There is also $45 billion for transportation and transit assistance, funding for rural internet service and help for the Postal Service, among other provisions.
The other bill proposes a $160 billion aid package for state and local governments and a modified liability shield that is backed by Republicans and Democratic moderate Joe Manchin of West Virginia.