JOHNSTON, Iowa — Members of Congress return from a holiday break this week, with a Dec. 11 deadline looming over their heads to fund the government.
Rumors have been flying about a new stimulus package to help millions of Americans, their families, and their businesses as they try to make ends meet. So far, no deal has been reached between the two parties.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Gov. Kim Reynolds was asked during a press conference why the state legislature isn't passing additional state funding to plug any gap if Congress doesn't reach a deal by the end of the year.
"Unfortunately there's just not enough state funding to make everybody whole and that's just a reality of what we're dealing with because not only are the businesses impacted but also the supply chain," said Reynolds. "It's about refilling the emergency funds and the balance and this is something that Congress needs to do and they need to step up and they need to get relief sent to the states to our small businesses and Iowans who are suffering from COVID-19, again, at no fault of their own."
Time is working against lawmakers as well, as is the Capitol’s emerging status as a COVID-19 hotspot. The House has truncated its schedule, and Senate Republicans are joining Democrats in forgoing the in-person lunch meetings that usually anchor their workweeks. It’ll take serious, good-faith conversations among top players to determine what’s possible, but those haven’t transpired yet.
Federal CARES Act money allocated to the states expires at the end of the month.