Grassley Discusses Second Round Of COVID Assistance Funding During News Conference

(Washington) — Republican U-S Senator Chuck Grassley spoke with KLEM news during his weekly news conference held Tuesday about the second round of COVID-19 relief funding that has been introduced in the Senate. Grassley says the new relief bill may contain several provisions found in the initial CARES Act bill.

Grassley says the bill will also provide financial assistance to K-12 schools, providing they implement a program with in-classroom learning.

Grassley says there would also be some funding available for hospitals.
Grassley says the “900 pound gorilla” that may end up being the contentious point with the Democrat controlled House of Representatives may be the amount of federal dollars allocated to unemployed individuals. Grassley says Senate Republicans want to allocate $200 per week instead of the previous allocation of $600 per week.

Grassley says with the past COVID relief bill, Congress made it possible so people perhaps could receive more money by being unemployed than if they were working. He says there needs to be available assistance, but with an incentive to get people back to work.
The Iowa Senator says Congress will need to act on the bill within the next couple of weeks in order to complete the business before the summer recess.