It’s Tuesday, the traditional day for elections and for our pause-and-consider newsletter on politics and policy.
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THE NEXT PHASE IN COVID RELIEF
By Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews ([link removed])
Correspondent
It is an important week on a host of issues, including:
* Infrastructure, climate, child care and racial equity. President Biden is meeting with the four top Congressional leaders (two from each party) on Wednesday and then with key Republican senators Thursday to try to navigate his $4 trillion in infrastructure and social structure plans through the Capitol.
* Racial justice. House and Senate negotiations continue, amid increasing signals that Democrats may be ready to compromise on individual police immunity. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., suggested Sunday that perhaps lawmakers can work to reform that in future negotiations and focus on things like chokeholds and holding police departments accountable now.
* Capitol security. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has tasked House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., with working out a possible deal for a January 6 commission, a senior Democratic aide confirmed to the NewsHour. And we expect to hear more this week about House Democrats’ plans for a supplemental spending bill to upgrade security at the U.S. Capitol.
But as per our regular preference, we’d like to focus on things more overlooked. This week is also a pivot-point for several of the most recent coronavirus relief programs passed by Congress.
As they are historic and unprecedented in scope, it’s good to check in.
Coronavirus state and local recovery funds
$350 billion
Summary: The American Rescue Act offers $350 billion to be disbursed among states, cities and every county in the country. We cannot overstate the scope of this: It is among the greatest direct disbursements by the federal government to local governments in history.
The portal for this money opened yesterday and thousands of local officials now are sending in forms to certify their plans for spending the money, with hope that it could arrive in their municipal accounts within days.
If you haven’t yet asked, it’s worth checking on what the elected officials in your local county (or city) and state are considering using this money for.
To see what your state and county stand to gain, check out this excellent resource from the National Association of Counties ([link removed]) .
Latest: Local and state governments have started the certification process to get the funds, but the U.S. Treasury has not indicated that any of the money has moved yet — but itshould “within days,” senior aides told reporters Tuesday.
Coronavirus funeral relief
Up to $9,000 per funeral
Summary: As part of the American Rescue Plan and the Consolidated Appropriations Act passed in December, the federal government is offering to pay up to $9,000 for every COVID-related funeral in the country. The money can be used to cover the costs of services regardless of the deceased’s legal status in the U.S., though the benefit can only go to someone with legal status.
(See our broadcast story ([link removed]) here for more on this fascinating program.)
Latest: The Federal Emergency Management Agency told the NewsHour that as of today, the agency has received 175,758 applications and more than $17.8 million has been awarded so far.
Restaurant Relief Fund
$28.6 billion
Summary: Raise a glass. Last week, the Small Business Administration opened up a specific relief program for restaurants and bars. The American Rescue Plan created the Restaurant Relief Fund to help businesses whose main function is to provide food or drinks. Those applying can also use Paycheck Protection Plan money, but money from the two together cannot add up to more than their losses from the pandemic.
Latest: Over 186,000 bars and restaurants have applied for this fund. As of Tuesday, 16,000 had made it through the process and were approved to receive some money, according to the SBA. They represent over $2 billion in funds. That leaves a sizable portion, $25 billion or so, left to be doled out to businesses in one of the pandemic’s hardest-hit industries. But if the fund continues to be disbursed at the same rate, it is not clear whether it will be able to help everyone who applied. It could be close.
Shuttered venues
$16 billion
This fund is for theaters, concert arenas, museums, nonprofits and other entertainment venues forced to close or limit attendance during the pandemic. It, too, was created as part of the American Rescue Plan.
Latest: The program had a bumpy start, with the web portal initially shutting down. Since then the Small Business Administration has gotten things back up and running. As of last week, more than 22,000 entertainment businesses and nonprofits had applied for the relief. The largest category is live performance venues or operators. No word yet on how many f dollars have made it into the hands of those seeking help.
FIVE OVERLOOKED POLITICAL STORIES FROM THE PAST WEEK
By Ian Couzens, @iancouzenz ([link removed])
Politics production assistant
Midwest farmers look to plow through Biden’s electric-vehicle push ([link removed]) . May 4. Biofuels only get a small fraction of the funds in Biden’s proposed infrastructure package while electric cars get a massive investment. Corn growers and producers of ethanol want more. Why it matters: The biofuel industry accounts for hundreds of thousands of jobs and is influential with Democratic and Republican lawmakers from farm states, posing a challenge to Biden’s infrastrastructure plan and his environmental goals. -- Politico
The Liberals Who Can’t Quit Lockdown ([link removed]) . May 4. For some liberals, vigilance against COVID-19 has become a political expression and they’re finding it hard to accept public health guidance easing restrictions. Why it matters: Even as scientific knowledge of COVID-19 has increased, some progressives have continued to push for policies dictating peoples’ behaviors that are not supported by evidence, which threatens to further erode trust in public health. -- The Atlantic
Lawmakers push for action to reduce maternal deaths ([link removed]) . May 6. Illinois Rep. Lauren Underwood is pushing a 12-bill package known as “Momnibus” which she hopes will be included in Biden's infrastructure plan. Why it matters: The overall maternal mortality rate was 20.1 per 100,000 live births in the U.S. in 2019, but among non-Hispanic Black women, the rate was 44 deaths per 100,000 live births. -- Roll Call
Some Republicans worry voting limits will hurt the GOP, too ([link removed]) . May 7. Many of the restrictions backed by Republican lawmakers in Georgia, Florida, Iowa, Texas and Arizona target mail voting, a method particularly popular among senior citizens. Why it matters: Republicans are running the risk of suppressing their own electorate, especially in states with larger senior populations where Republicans continued to dominate in statewide races last year. -- The Associated Press
U.S. unions lodge first Mexico labor grievance under new NAFTA ([link removed]) . May 10. America's largest labor federation, the AFL-CIO, filed a labor rights petition against Mexico for denying independent union representation to workers at the auto parts plant Tridonex in Matamoros. Why it matters: The petition is the first under the USMCA, testing the trade deal designed by the Trump administration to give more power to workers to demand better salaries, and the outcome will be watched closely by companies and labor activists. -- Reuters
#POLITICSTRIVIA
By Kate Grumke, @KGrumke ([link removed])
Politics producer
On this day in 1894, nearly 4,000 railroad workers walked off their jobs in an unannounced strike that eventually led to a nationwide boycott against the company’s train cars. The U.S. attorney general at the time asked for a federal injunction to block the strike, and eventually President Grover Cleveland sent in troops to enforce it.
Our question: Which rail company were the workers striking against?
Send your answers to
[email protected] (mailto:
[email protected]) or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.
Last week, we asked: On this day in 1776, which American colony became the first to declare its independence from England and King George III?
The answer: Rhode Island
Congratulations to our winners: Ed Witt and George Livanos!
Thank you all for reading and watching. We’ll drop into your inbox next week.
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