As Congressional leaders attempt to strike a last-minute deal on the next round of coronavirus relief — just hours before a government shutdown — Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D., N.H.) says it’s long past time for lawmakers to act.
“We’re way overdue to provide real relief to the people of this country,” Shaheen told Yahoo Finance.
Shaheen and a bipartisan group of senators released a $748 billion relief proposal earlier this week, aiming to spur Congressional leaders into negotiating a deal.
“We will continue to talk and to try and work together to get things done, to try and move leadership and so many people within this process who are just way too partisan, and aren't willing to compromise to get things done,” said Shaheen.
The roughly $900 billion bill leaders are trying to finalize would include another round of stimulus checks, though they will likely be around $600 — half the size of the first checks. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) and Sen. Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) have pushed for $1,200 checks in the next package. The senators have threatened to hold up a bill to fund the government without a direct payment guarantee.
“I'm not sure we can always satisfy the people who are at either extremes ideologically, but hopefully we can satisfy those people who understand that most legislation is a compromise and we've got to get there and we don't have any more time to mess around now,” said Shaheen. “It's time to get this deal done. The American people have been waiting for months and it’s getting late.”
Shaheen also blasted Sen. Pat Toomey’s demand to curb the Federal Reserve’s emergency powers in the bill — a move Democrats have blasted as a “poison pill.”
“It's not acceptable that Sen. Toomey's problem is that he doesn't like Janet Yellen,” said Shaheen.
Toomey fired back at Democrats, saying the proposed measure is “not a broad overhaul of the Federal Reserve’s emergency lending authority.”
Even if Congress is able to pass the $900 billion relief package — which would be the second largest in history —Shaheen said more help will be needed next year. While defeating the virus and making sure Americans get vaccinated will be the top priority for Congress in the new year, Shaheen noted that another stimulus package will be “job number two.”
“We need a stimulus package. What we're talking about now is not stimulus, it’s emergency relief. But we need to look at how we can inject help into the economy,” said Shaheen.
Jessica Smith is a reporter for Yahoo Finance based in Washington, D.C. Follow her on Twitter at @JessicaASmith8.
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