The slow walk toward the next round of coronavirus funding, what is still being called an "interim" bill is nearing an end with a vote likely early this week. Or as early as getting everybody back to D.C. to do it can happen. It's, as of reporting Sunday night, about $470 billion for the small business loan program, hospitals, and expanded tests. That's the loan program, by the way, that has gone to some really big businesses in some very red states.
It would also include about $100 billion in spending for hospitals and for more coronavirus testing. Efforts by Democrats to get $150 billion additional in funding for struggling state and local governments has hit the predictable wall of Trump and the worst possible reason for them not to get help. The White House has been holding out, Politico reports "because, in part, they believe if Congress keeps cutting checks for state and local governments, they will be disincentivized to open up their economies." Seriously. He wants to force governors and mayors make the decision to infect and kill more people or "open" their economies.
The Washington Post reports the agreement has $310 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, the small business loans included in the CARES Act. About $60 billion of that would be targeted to smaller, community-based lenders to get that money to actual small business, particularly those owned by people of color and in underbanked areas. So there's that, at least. It would also add another $60 billion to a disaster loan program for small businesses that has been depleted.
While Trump continues to make actual testing and health care a battle, the bill reportedly includes $75 billion for hospitals and $25 billion for testing. If the materials for tests and hospitals can be found and not seized by the Trump administration before getting delivered.
That's where we’re at as of Monday morning, with leaders all still promising that the next bill will contain all the necessary stuff to keep food in people's mouths and roofs over their heads. Because, sure, we can wait another few weeks while Mitch McConnell refuses to act and Trump foments violence against Democratic governors.