COVID relief before Christmas?
EVA VITANOVEC: The timing couldn’t be worse. As COVID cases in the US reach record highs, government benefits that Americans have been using to supplement their income loss are about to expire. With daily new cases averaging in the 200,000s, the number of deaths rising to those of April and May, and an estimated timeline for vaccine-induced herd immunity not scheduled until well into 2021, the end isn't near. A grim outlook, yes, but surely nothing a partisan Congress in the midst of a presidential transition can’t solve. A bipartisan relief bill has entered the Capitol Hill conversation, but many Americans can’t wait much longer.
The truth is that the uplifting reports of a rising stock market in recent days give false hope of a bounce back from COVID, masking the true state of the US economy. A recent study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities outlines the dire situations the unemployed, renters, and underfunded state and local governments face both now and in the future if Congress does not take immediate action. Unemployment insurance (UI) to the two-thirds of Americans covered by the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act, passed in March, is due to end on December 26. Within this cutoff includes people who qualified for 13 weeks of Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation on top of regular UI benefits. Also included in this groups are those who lost their job due to the pandemic but would not otherwise qualify for UI benefits.
Those who have fallen behind on rent payments are also in the same boat. The September CDC mandate that ordered a halt on evictions to stop the spread of COVID will end on December 31. Although this order has most likely stopped millions of people from losing their homes, the payments will still come due. Nationwide income loss and debt accumulation therefore also weigh heavy on affected renters minds and to where they will be living come Dec 31. Finally, Coronavirus Relief Funds that aided states and local governments to cover testing expenses, PPE, extra protection for at-risk groups like those in nursing homes and educational support, will expire on December 30.
An extension of these programs is a relevant and necessary condition that affects both Democratic and Republican states – with six of the seven states predicted to suffer the most being red states. To address this concern, a group of bipartisan legislators in Congress has put forth a $908 billion economic relief package – deemed “just a start” by president-elect Joe Biden. The bill would provide $300 a week in jobless benefits, $288 billion for small businesses, including theaters and restaurants, $160 billion for extremely affected cities and states, as well as other provisions to protect businesses that are trying to stay afloat during the pandemic. The bill also holds to its bipartisan label, with the aid package nearly double what the rumored number Republicans had in mind, yet significantly smaller than the $2 trillion plan the House passed in October.
Plans for this relief bill first started in early November within a dinner group of bipartisan senators. The group later expanded, and the larger list of supporters includes now Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Sen. Mitt Romney and Sen. Mark Warner. The bill is known to be spearheaded by Sen. Joe Manchin and Sen. Susan Collins as it enters later stages of negotiations. As of Wednesday, Speaker Nancy Peolosi and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer support the bipartisan bill.Although talks between Pelosi and Majority Leader Mitch McConnel are reportedly underway, he has yet to announce his support for the piece of legislation. Instead, both he and Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin have resorted to emphasizing the necessity of a presidential signature on a relief bill of any kind that is passed.
Many feel relieved that Biden has been confirmed as the next president. His recent cabinet picks and political appointees reassure the public of a quick, long-awaited transition. However, although Joe Biden has made many promises to listen to science and battle this pandemic head-on, President Trump is still the President until noon on January 20. This means that Trump and Senate Republicans still hold the reigns for a crucial period. Many Americans don’t have the luxury to wait until Inauguration Day or most likely later for a stimulus check. Although Biden seems like a light at the end of a tunnel for some, the focus is still on passing an aid package within the government we have now before benefits expire after Christmas.
Eva Vitanovec is a sophomore in the College from Chicago, IL. Studying Government, she enjoys reporting on exciting happenings in the political world for On the Record and staying involved with GU Politics.