Six days after both sides of the Capitol overwhelmingly came together to pass a COVID-19 relief package, President Donald Trump signed the bill into law Sunday.
The House approved it Dec. 20 on a 359-53 vote and sent it on to the Senate where it passed 92-6 on Dec. 21 before midnight.
“I am signing this bill to restore unemployment benefits, stop evictions, provide rental assistance, add money for PPP, return our airline workers back to work, add substantially more money for vaccine distribution, and much more,” the president said in signing the bill.
But one of the things the president found unacceptable in the package was giving individuals a payment of $600. He called it a disgrace and said it should be upped to $2,000.
The Democratic-led House voted Monday to boost the individual payments to $2,000, so the measure moved to the Senate. On Tuesday Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., blocked an attempt to unanimously pass the $2,000 increase in that body. It was not determinded by press time if and when a vote on the measure in the Senate would be held. The increase in individual payments must be approved by the Senate as well as the House
“This has been a difficult year for millions of families in Texas, and across the country, as parents have worried about how to pay bills and buy groceries, let alone Christmas gifts under their tree for their children. I know this will not erase all of the financial uncertainty, but it will go a long way to provide some help to those whose livelihoods have been thrown into chaos,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said before the Senate vote last week on the bill that the president has since signed into law. “I appreciate the work of our colleagues who fought for a deal that will give our country added strength during this next critical phase of our fight, and I look forward to voting for this legislation.”
Cornyn and Texas U.S. District 17 Rep. Bill Flores pointed out some of accomplishments of the COVID-19 relief package:
• Includes $300 million to build out rural broadband in Texas.
• Provides an additional $250 million for telehealth.
• Extends the eviction moratorium until Jan. 31, 2021 and provides $25 billion in temporary and targeted rental assistance for those who lost their source of income during the pandemic.
• Provides $11.2 billion in funding for agricultural assistance to support farmers, ranchers, logging and timber, textile mills, and producers.
• Provides $1 billion in repurposed funding for agricultural losses due to previous natural disasters.
• $900 billion in total COVID-19 relief for Americans. This includes an extension of the Paycheck Protection Program.
• Allows businesses that previously received a PPP loan to apply again, while making it easier for businesses to deduct the expenses paid with loan proceeds.
• Includes $20 billion for the purchase of vaccines to ensure that any American who wants a COVID-19 vaccination can get one for free.
• Included an additional $20 billion to assist states with COVID-19 testing.
“Despite the many wins, the legislation we voted on yesterday (Dec. 20) is an example of continuing dysfunction in Washington. Legislative relief for Americans who are struggling because of COVID should have passed months ago. Unfortunately, Nancy Pelosi decided that she would rather withhold the aid to hurt President Trump. Because of this strategy, tens of thousands of Americans have lost their jobs, their livelihoods, their businesses and their lives,” Flores said after the Sunday House vote.
Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening was thankful for Congress’ passage of the COVID-19 relief and Omnibus package.
“Texas Farm Bureau is pleased Congress has acted to provide roughly $13 billion in additional direct assistance to farmers and ranchers who continue to struggle with uncertainty caused by COVID-19. We are also proud to see an Omnibus included that provides added security for the farm safety net,” he said. “Supplemental assistance will be provided for farmers with crops included under the USDA Coronavirus Food Assistance Program to help with the many challenges they have faced this year. Additional support is secured for cattle ranchers who have experienced extreme market volatility due to the pandemic. The legislation creates a livestock dealer trust to protect ranchers from dealer payment default, which provides additional coverage for ranchers during the uncertainty of COVID-19 and moving forward.”
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