On Saturday, President Trump signed four executive actions aimed at providing economic relief in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic after negotiations between congressional leaders and the White House failed to produce new coronavirus relief legislation.
As of this morning, no new talks are scheduled although congressional leaders and the White House have expressed willingness to negotiate. According to Bloomberg, Treasury Secretary Mnuchin said all sides have reached agreement “on almost every other single issue” except big-ticket items like state and local government aid and the amount of unemployment benefits. Secretary Mnuchin wants to work with Democratic leaders to pass a bill on “things we agree on” before addressing more difficult issues. “Any time they have a new proposal, I’m willing to listen,” he said.
With House and Senate schedules slowing down due to the August recess, legislative activity will also begin to decrease but it will likely rebound come early September.
Administration. HHS announced details of the next CARES Act-authorized nursing home Provider Relief Fund (PRF) distribution. The $5 billion distribution will provide approximately $2.5 billion in upfront funding to support increased testing, staffing, and PPE needs. There will also be funding available for those establishing COVID isolation facilities. Unlike prior distributions, the balance of the $5 billion will be linked to nursing home performance. According to HHS, almost 40% of all US COVID-19 deaths are nursing-home related. HHS Secretary Alex Azar said, “By linking these funds to performance in controlling COVID-19, we are providing powerful tools and incentives for nursing homes to better protect their residents from the virus.”
HHS released a fact sheet explaining Operation Warp Speed, the Administration’s coordinated effort aimed at delivering 300 million doses of a safe, effective vaccine for COVID-19 by January 2021.
The Small Business Administration announced on Friday the expiration of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
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NLC urged the federal government to provide relief to local government in light of Thursday’s jobs report released by the Department of Labor. NLC CEO and Executive Director Clarence E. Anthony said, “If we don’t treat this issue comprehensively now, we will soon be back to negotiating for another extension of unemployment insurance benefits, this time including more local government employees who have been laid off (515,000 since February) due to unavoidable cuts in municipal budgets.”
As schools face reopening decisions, the American Academy of Pediatrics and Children’s Hospital Association report at least 97,000 US children tested positive in the last two weeks of July. According to the report at least 338,000 children tested positive through July 30.
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Webinars, Events and Resources |
URBAN INSTITUTE WEBINAR: State of the Schools 2020: The Educational Costs of the COVID-19 Pandemic
August 12, 11:00 AM EDT
As the school year begins, how are states and school districts moving forward, and how do they weigh the costs of providing an adequate education and trade-offs between in-class instruction and potential health risks? What innovative approaches should be considered, and how do they ensure the best outcomes for all students?
NACo WEBINAR: How Counties are Investing CARES Act Dollars in Social Security Net Services
August 19, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT
CRS reports of interest, including:
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