The House is set to vote on a $3 trillion virus relief bill Friday. The aid package comes as an unprecedented 36 million Americans have filed for unemployment during the pandemic and cities and states are struggling with massive budget shortfalls.
California is looking at a $54 billion dollar hole between now and next July. San Francisco has a $250 million gap in the budget and Santa Clara County, the hardest hit part of the Bay Area in terms of coronavirus cases is facing a $254 million shortfall.
“Speaker Pelosi, to her credit, has unified Republican and Democratic governors who support the over $500 billion that we’re providing in state and local government relief so teachers and police officers and firefighters and nurses can still be paid,” says East Bay Congressman Eric Swalwell.
The bill includes a $200 billion hazard pay fund for frontline workers and another round of stimulus checks. $1200 would go to individuals who qualify and families could receive up to $6000.
“And an additional $75 billion more for testing and tracing and treatment, recognizing that until we fully attack and defeat healthcare challenge we can’t stand up this economy,” says Swalwell.
But Congressional Republicans say the bill is too much, too soon especially as many states including California are beginning to re-open.
Governor Gavin Newsom is expected to release his May budget revision Thursday afternoon and some drastic cuts are expected.