News Alert: COVID-19 Relief Package Agreement

House Dems and White House come to agreement on next COVID-19 Relief Package.

Although considered a long shot just a few weeks ago, Democratic leaders and the Trump administration have come to an agreement today on a fifth COVID-19 relief package, clearing its way for passage through Congress to the president’s desk.

Over the last few weeks, each side has inched closer to the other in terms of the amount of funding, finally landing on $#.# trillion as a final number. The package includes the following:

• Another round of $1,200 direct payments to Americans;
• State and local funding, and funding for education;
• A total of $400 in additional unemployment insurance (the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES, Act had $600 in additional unemployment insurance);
• Monies for COVID-19 testing and tracing and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services;
• Additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program; and
• Funding for businesses and farmers.

The relief package is coming just as the federal Paycheck Protection Program ended on Oct. 1, forcing many businesses to execute layoffs, including some major airlines.

Programming Note: Listen to Matthew Albright’s live legislative analysis, sponsored by Zelis, on Monitor Mondays, 10 a.m. EST.