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After a months-long stalemate, Congress appeared to be on the verge of passing another stimulus package that could send checks to Americans eager for relief.
The deal is expected to include a new round of stimulus checks at $600 per individual, but no money for state and local aid.
It was not known when the checks would go out.
The package is also expected to include an additional $300 a week in jobless benefits as well as up to $330 billion for small business loans and money for vaccine distribution.
Final details were still being worked out on Wednesday.
“It’s clear that our residents, our businesses and our city are in desperate need of federal support to help offset the effects of this pandemic,” City Manager Steve Mermell told Pasadena Now.
“Those most in need are low-income workers, many of whom have been laid off or are currently working on the front lines of essential services,” Mermell said.
“Our business sector, particularly restaurants, who have been forced to close their doors, need support if there is any hope of them being able to re-open. And our own local government, which has spent millions of dollars of local taxpayer funds to address this national crisis, needs full and timely reimbursement of expenditures,” Mermell said.
Democrats are pushing to include $90 billion in aid to states that would be administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
It was not known when Congress will vote on the package, meaning it’s still uncertain when Congress will vote — and whether they will be able to tie the roughly $900 billion relief plan to a massive $1.4 trillion spending bill that Congress is trying to pass by the time the government runs out of money Friday night.
Whether Congress will have to pass another stop-gap measure to keep agencies afloat remains to be seen.
On a conference call Wednesday, Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested that votes on final passage could come this weekend, and he prepared his members to be ready for that possibility.
If that happens, it’s possible there could be a temporary government shutdown until final passage since government funding runs out Friday night
Congress has not passed a relief package since the beginning of the pandemic. Since then, Democrats and Republicans have remained far apart on another deal with each side offering their own versions of legislation only to be rejected by the other side.
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