News
Coronavirus Relief Negotiations Continue, But Pre-Election Expectations Dim
- By: USAging
- On: 10/23/2020 11:04:56
- In: Policy & Advocacy
Despite a self-imposed Tuesday deadline to agree on a top-line amount for another round of COVID-19 relief legislation, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin are still negotiating. As discussions drag on, expectations for action before election day continue to fade.
At issue remains aid to state and local governments, which has been included in recent House-passed relief packages, and liability protections for employers and businesses. Even if the House and the Administration reach agreement on these and other provisions, securing Senate Republican support remains uncertain.
An additional $1.175 billion for Older Americans Act and other aging programs was included in the latest House-passed relief bill, HEROES 2.0. This OAA funding has both bipartisan and bicameral support, so if lawmakers and White House officials come to agreement, we remain hopeful that the Aging Network would receive additional funding. n4a continues to push for this funding and other critical issues, including additional aid for state Medicaid and HCBS waiver programs and economic relief for state and local governments.
Overall, it has been almost seven months since the last comprehensive relief package, the CARES Act, was signed into law. Since that time the country has experienced more than 8 million COVID-19 cases and 220,000 deaths—80 percent of which were older Americans. Stay tuned to n4a for additional advocacy messages and resources as discussions progress.