Talks ended last week between the White House and Democratic leadership, with no deal in sight for another COVID-19 relief bill.
The Democratic-led U.S. House went ahead and passed a $2.2 trillion package last Thursday, but the Republican-led U.S. Senate hasn't shown any interest in taking up the bill. One topic on the table is the return of $600 dollars a week in unemployment insurance. When that program ended this summer. Ohio was able to provide and extra $300 a week for six weeks through a FEMA grant and now that money has ended. Senator Sherrod Brown and others want to see the $600 to come back in the next coronavirus package.
“It not just helped those workers, it helped communities. It helped Lima, it helped Bluffton, it helped Cleveland, it helped Piqua, it helped towns where the workers who were laid off are still spending their money at the grocery store and at the hardware store and then all over paying their rent or property tax,” says Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown. “That matters for local communities for everybody's better wellbeing.”
Senator Rob Portman would like to see money to continue the Paycheck Protection Program to help small businesses stay open. Plus, additional funds to cover testing costs in Ohio.
“We are now testing, you know, couple times a week at the nursing homes as an example. That's expensive and I think it's good to keep testing but the federal government can provide some help there,” says Republican Senator Rob Portman. “I'm really excited about the new 15-minute test that are now being provided to the states. Ohio's going to get millions of these tests. These are supposed to be over 95% accurate, which is good.”
Portman says he expects there will be a packaged passed before the November election. While Portman seemed positive about the bill, late Tuesday, President Trump said he instructed aides to stop negotiating on another round of COVID-19 relief until after the election. The President claiming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was "Not negotiating in good faith".
