WASHINGTON (Reuters) – After passing $3 trillion of coronavirus relief in a rare run of bipartisanship, Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress girded for a new battle over federal assistance to states and local governments grappling with the deadly outbreak.
Spurred on by governors and local officials, Democrats have put out the word they want to provide a sizable rescue package as part of a broader bill – one that could total at least $2 trillion in coming weeks.
Some Republicans have pushed back hard against the idea as unreasonably expensive and unwarranted.
House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned on Friday, “There will not be a bill without state and local” aid.
Pelosi, the top U.S. Democrat, added in a news conference that the legislation she is having prepared will be ready soon and that it will be “expensive.”
She said she was not yet certain how much money the House Democrats’ bill would offer to state and local governments, but said, “Probably a number equivalent to what we’ve done for small businesses.”
So far, about $730 billion in aid has been made available to small businesses, including approximately $380 billion as part of a broader coronavirus measure President Donald Trump signed into law earlier on Friday.
Leaders of the National Governors Association earlier this month asked Congress