WASHINGTON (AP) – An eviction moratorium is lifting. Extra unemployment benefits are ending. Parents are being called to work, but schools are struggling to reopen for fall as the COVID-19 crisis shows no signs of easing.
With Congress bracing for the next coronavirus aid package, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is outlining Republican priorities as earlier programs designed to ease Americans through the pandemic and economic fallout begin to expire. He is eyeing $1 trillion in new aid.
“This is not over,” McConnell said during a visit to a food pantry Monday in Louisville, Kentucky.
The GOP leader’s next virus aid package is centered on liability protections, a top priority for Republicans seeking to shield doctors, schools, businesses and others from coronavirus-related lawsuits brought by patrons claiming injuries during reopenings.
McConnell is also considering a fresh round of direct payments, noting they are especially helpful for those earning $40,000 a year or less. He wants the liability shield to run for five years, retroactive to December 2019.