U.S. Senator, Chuck Grassley says disagreement between Republicans and Democrats over unemployment benefits is the major issue holding up the next round of coronavirus relief for businesses and citizens still reeling from the pandemic’s economic impacts. Grassley was in Carroll Wednesday afternoon for a Q&A with members of the Carroll Chamber of Commerce and Carroll Area Development Corporation (CADC) at Santa Maria Winery. According to Grassley, negotiations stalled primarily over the amount of federal unemployment benefits.
Grassley adds he and many of his fellow Republicans were not in favor of the extra $600 per week in unemployment benefits, but it was a political compromise that needed to be made in order to get the initial relief through quickly. Grassley says a substantial amount of funding set aside in the original CARES Act for state and local governments has not been utilized yet, so Republicans are hesitant to allocate substantial funds until the existing money is applied.
The Senate is in recess through Labor Day. However, negotiations on the bill are ongoing between Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer. Grassley says he and his colleagues are closely monitoring these talks and are ready to vote quickly if an agreement is reached.
The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives has already passed the approximately $3 trillion HEROES Act to supplement the CARES Act. The Republicans in the U.S. Senate have proposed the $1 trillion HEALS Act, but a vote has not yet been held.
