Currents News Staff
Republicans and Democrats are coming close to agreeing on a spending bill and COVID-19 relief package.
The deal includes a laundry list of measures:
$300 a week in enhanced unemployment insurance benefits.
$25 billion for rental assistance and an eviction moratorium extension
$82 billion dollars for schools
$13 billion for food assistance
That $82 billion for education includes $4.5 billion for governors to spend at their discretion. It remains to be seen if the $2.7 billion set aside for private schools will include Catholic schools.
It seems neither party is thrilled about stimulus checks at $600 per adult.
“So direct payments — which were not in the Republican bill —to America’s working families,” said Pelosi. ”I would have liked them bigger but they are significant, and they will be going out soon.”
Some lawmakers say they fear they might not have enough time to actually read the text of the bills before they vote.
“I want to see what’s in it but it’s probably not going to be pretty but better than nothing,”said Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois. “It’s’s how government works. We’re sitting here December what? 20, 21 today? We should have done this weeks and weeks ago.”
For weeks, many Americans have been struggling to stay afloat, and waiting in long lines for free food — people like south Florida’s Deborah Hightower who says she lost her job twice since the pandemic began.
“I’m very independent and do not like to ask for help. But sometimes, you just have to do,” she told Currents News. “God humbles you.”
Votes on the final relief package and the $1.4 trillion spending bill for the new fiscal year could pass by the end of Dec. 21.