Lame Duck Session Could Feature New COVID-19 Package

As reported by ASAE, the association for association professionals of which ANCOR is a member:

“After largely remaining on the sidelines during recent COVID-19 stimulus negotiations, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said that an economic stimulus bill will be the Senate’s top priority when it returns to Washington.

Before the elections, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said there are ‘multiple items of critical importance’ to be resolved if there is to be any COVID-19 stimulus deal in the lame duck session. Pelosi has been negotiating primarily with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on a new pandemic relief package and both parties had at times sounded optimistic about their progress. That positivity disappeared last week as Senate Republicans voiced no support for a large deal and President Trump vacillated on what he would back.

Yesterday, however, McConnell said he supports a deal and that aid for state and local governments – a major stumbling block in the negotiations to date – could be included.

[…]

McConnell did not say how large a package he would support or how to resolve remaining differences with Democrats over school funding, child-care money, tax credits for working families, unemployment benefits and liability protections for businesses. But, he said, ‘I think now that the election’s over the need is there and we need to sit down and work this out. And state and local could end up being a part of it. I’d like to see it done a little more skillfully than simply providing borrowed money for everyone regardless of their need.’”