U.S. Senate eyes new relief package

Clouds hide the late-afternoon Vermont sun in Woodstock by Route 12. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

The U.S. Senate is expected to discuss a new pandemic relief package next week, and Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont and others are pushing for more flexibility for states in how to spend the money. 

Vermont has received $1.3 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funding, and the money must be spent by Dec. 31, according to the rules governing the CARES Act passed earlier this year. Speaking with Vermont Public Radio, Leahy agreed with Gov. Phil Scott that states should have more of a say in how they use these funds.

“I've heard the same complaint from other states,” Leahy told VPR Wednesday. “I think we should have a lot more flexibility. Republicans and Democrats I've talked to are for that."

Leahy, vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in the same interview he sees bipartisan support for extending special unemployment aid, providing direct grants to taxpayers and giving much-needed relief to states to plug revenue gaps.

Considering the news this week, there still seems to be a desire on both sides to craft a new relief package, just very different ideas about how to achieve it. A recent call between Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi went nowhere, according to The Washington Post. 

The overall size of the new legislation remains a point of contention. The Democrat-led House passed the $3.4 trillion Heroes Act in May, hoping that would become the second COVID-19 relief bill coming out of Congress. The Senate did not take up the bill, and stimulus negotiations between Democratic leaders and White House officials stalled in recent weeks. On Wednesday, the Washington Post reported Senate Republicans continue to work on a smaller plan of about $1 trillion — which may hit the Senate floor next week. The GOP has so far rejected Democratic suggestions of a larger amount, the Post stated.

Despite the steep challenges facing the country, there remains the opportunity for both sides to come together and start the work of crafting this legislation. As Congress returns from its summer recess next week, hopefully discussions in the Senate will lead to a positive result for Vermonters and all Americans. Many are waiting for the moment a new relief bill reaches the finish line.  

— Gareth Henderson