Cong. Abby Finkenauer
Iowa Congressman Steve King, a Republican from Kiron, says he is not sure yet if the U.S. House will vote via telephone on the $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief bill that has passed the Senate. He says they have been discussing the issue frequently.
King says they’ve been having as many as two conference calls a day where Republicans discuss the issue and he says his sense is that the House will pass the bill on a voice vote. King says his assessment now is to go along with that. “I am leaning toward allowing it to pass on a voice vote and lending my support to it. As we are spending the better part of today going through the components,” he says.
King says the bill was only finalized right before the Senate vote, and House members want to look it over. He says the bill isn’t perfect — but it is important to not delay longer. “The good outweighs the bad. We do move quickly, there isn’t going to be another opportunity to let’s just say stall this bill in the House — amend it in some way — and call the Senators back,” according to King.
Democrat Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer from Cedar Rapids talked about the bill in an online forum for constituents today.
“We worked hard to ensure that the priorities that our district called for were included in the package,” Finkenauer says.
She says she did not get everything she wanted in the bill — but is happy to see the federal payments of $1,200 in there.
She says those making less than $75,000 a year will get a payment up to 100-thousand, where it would gradually go down. And couples making less than $150,000. Finkenauer says she is also please to see more money going toward unemployment benefits.
She says it boosts the payments above the maximum of $600 and ensure most people will get their full pay for at least four months.
Finkenauer says she expects the bill to pass Friday — or Saturday at the latest.