Congressman Fred Upton isn’t feeling any better about the COVID-19 relief package coming together in Washington than he did last week. Upton tells WSJM News it still looks like the $1.9 trillion plan will be pushed through the House with no Republican support.
“There are certainly unrelated issues, funding issues, that are here,” Upton said. “Money for museums, for some states doubling the minimum wage within the next couple years, just a whole number of things. And Speaker Pelosi is trying to ramrod this thing through very fast.”
Upton says a bipartisan bill could be passed if there was the will among the leadership.
“It would probably be in the neighborhood of $1.2 trillion, versus nearly $2 trillion. You almost split the difference. More money for vaccine production, more money for states.”
And more money for schools. Upton says the deadline is March 14, when extra unemployment benefits are set to run out. He thinks Republicans and Democrats alike support that element. He’s expecting a House vote on the package this week.
