SENDING CORONAVIRUS AID TO PRESIDENT TRUMP:

Voting 92 for and six against, the Senate on Dec. 21 gave final congressional approval to a bill (HR 133, above) that would provide $900 billion in coronavirus relief along with $1.4 trillion in governmentappropriations for fiscal 2021. In addition to outlays noted above, the bill would provide $29 billion for purchasing and distributing vaccines; $25 billion in emergency rental aid plus a moratorium on evictions through January; $22 billion to help states address COVID-19; $20 billion targeted to Main Street businesses; $16 billion for airlines and $14 billion for mass transit plus a few billion for Amtrak and inner-city bus service; $15 billion for cultural venues and movie theaters; $13 billion for food stamps and nutrition programs to sustain hungry children; $13 billion for farmers and ranchers; $10 billion to keep child-care centers open; and $1.3 billion in forgiveness of federal loans for infrastructure repairs at historically Black colleges and universities. The bill also would expand Pell Grants for low-income college students and, for the first time, qualify those in prison for Pell grants to pay tuition costs.

Rob Portman, R-Ohio, called the package “a targeted bill that focuses on providing a bridge between now and the time at which the vaccines will be widely available.”

Criticizing the bill’s deficit spending, Rand Paul, R-Ky., said the country “can be saved, we can survive this [pandemic] if we pull together, but adding more debt is a mistake.” A yes vote was to send the bill to President Trump.

ARKANSAS

Voting yes: Tom Cotton, R, John Boozman, R

TEXAS

Voting yes: John Cornyn, R Voting no: Ted Cruz, R