House and Senate Democrats are demanding Congress approve a $500 billion relief package this week that includes a 15% increase in food stamp benefits.
The request more than doubles the $250 billion in emergency funding sought by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to extend urgent small business aid that is running dry. Democrats want the additional money for healthcare facilities and to help state and local governments.
“The heartbreaking acceleration of the coronavirus crisis demands bold, urgent and ongoing action from Congress to protect Americans’ lives and livelihoods,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a joint statement Wednesday. “As Democrats have said since Day One, Congress must provide additional relief for small businesses and families, building on the strong down-payment made in the bipartisan CARES Act.”
President Trump signed the $2.2 trillion CARES Act on March 28, which included $350 billion for small businesses to stay in operation and avoid laying off employees. The small business aid program is running out of money, and Mnuchin has asked Congress to pass an additional $250 billion.
Congress is not in session because of the coronavirus and is not scheduled to return until April 20 at the earliest.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said he would try to pass the additional funding by unanimous consent during a Senate pro forma session on Thursday. The House would then have to take up the measure and try to pass it, also by unanimous consent.
Both parties must agree to the legislation to give it a chance of passing by unanimous consent, which does not require a roll-call vote or debate. Any lawmaker can block unanimous consent of a bill.
Schumer and Pelosi are also demanding half of the $250 billion Mnuchin is seeking “is channeled through community-based financial institutions that serve farmers, family, women, minority and veteran-owned small businesses and nonprofits in rural, tribal, suburban and urban communities across our country, and improvements to ensure all eligible small businesses can access this critical funding and are not turned away by banks.”
In addition to the $250 billion for small businesses, they are demanding $100 billion for hospitals, community health centers, and health systems, “providing desperately needed resources to the frontlines of this crisis, including production and distribution of national rapid testing and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).” They are also asking for $150 billion for state and local governments to respond to the coronavirus outbreak and cope with the lost revenue.
Pelosi and Schumer said after Congress passes the additional $500 billion and the food stamp increase, lawmakers must begin drawing a larger economic relief measure “that will extend and expand the bipartisan CARES Act to meet the needs of the American people.”
They added, “CARES 2 must provide transformational relief as the American people weather this assault on their lives and livelihoods.”
