› Blackburn “hopeful” amid relief talks but wary of some aspects,
NASHVILLE — U. S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn said Thursday she is hopeful as U.S. Senate and House leaders begin discussions on a long-stalled second COVID-19 relief package, but the Tennessee Republican warned she opposes some provisions in the $908 billion compromise proposal offered up by moderate congressional Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
“There shouldn’t be money to bail out some of these states and cities that have pension issues,” Blackburn said of one provision in the proposal, embraced by President- elect Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, to move discussions along.
Blackburn said Tennesseans “tell me every day ‘Do not send our tax dollars to bail out the city of Chicago or bail out San Francisco.”
Efforts to pass a second relief package have been stalled for months with Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Pelosi refusing to budge from their respective proposals. Senate Republicans have pushed a nearly $ 500 billion plan while House Democrats months ago passed a $2.2 trillion package as their follow up to the CARES Act passed earlier this year.
Moderates’ proposal, which they hope lays groundwork for a deal, has gained traction amid soaring COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths as well as impacts on livelihoods and businesses.
Provisions include $180 billion in additional federal unemployment insurance benefits — $ 300 per week per person — as well as $288 billion in new funding for the Paycheck Protection Program, which provides loans to incentivize small businesses to keep workers on their payrolls.
Another $ 16 billion would go toward continued vaccine development and distribution as well and billions more in food aid and childcare.
The proposal doesn’ t include an additional round of economic stimulus checks. But it does provide liability protections for businesses against COVID- related lawsuits, which Senate Republicans want.
Blackburn continued touting Senate Republicans’ plan, which also includes liability protections.
“We are hearing from Tennessee employers, schools and different entities and they would like to have this federal liability protection so they can open their doors, get both people back to work, children back to school and get us on the path to recovery.”
Senate Republicans’ original plan relies on using some $ 430 billion in previously unspent funds.
Blackburn said she remains hopeful that Democrats “will come to the table and work with us on this. We were incredibly disappointed when House Democrats this week decided they were going to talk about cannabis and cats and not deal with COVID and the cash that is needed by so many individuals who have lost their job through no fault of their own.”
House Democrats are poised to pass legislation decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level as well the Big Cat Public Safety Act, which would ban the private ownership of big cats like lions and tigers.