Baker Stands With Neal in Urging Passage of Fed Stimulus Bill
BOSTON — Citizens could see the balance of the promised $2,000 in stimulus money hit their accounts by April 1.
The payments of $1,400 are part of a $1.9 trillion stimulus package working its way through Congress. It follows up on the CARES Act passed last year to address COVID-19 needs and a $600 boost to families that both parties agreed to in the first days of the new year.
"People are struggling, we need to hear their calls for help," said U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, speaking with Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday.
Democrats, now in control of both the House and Senate, have opted to use the parliamentary procedure of reconciliation that will fast track the stimulus package through committee and avoid a Senate filibuster.
"Here's the challenge. The process of reconciliation, it's arcane by procedure, both sides have used it," said Neal, chairman of the powerful Ways & Means Committee. There is a desire for bipartisanship, he continued, "but speed is of the essence."
There will be room for Republicans to make amendments during the process, he said, "and I think it would be very helpful for them to fully participate. I think when you look at the polling data on our proposal, it's pretty wild when it comes down three-quarters of the American people support what we're about to try to do and what in fact, what we're going to do."
The Springfield Democrat appeared with the state's Republican governor to impress the importance of the package to the Bay State's citizens and its economy.
"Our economy and the jobs and the purpose that come with it have been significantly impacted by the pandemic," said Baker. "And we've worked hard over the course of the past 10 months to balance the needs of keeping our economy open safely, while responding to the pandemic. There are still substantial financial challenges that we face as a commonwealth and that other states across the country are facing as well.
"It would be critical from our point of view, for Congress to pass significant relief swiftly to help us beat down the pandemic. And just as importantly, help get our economy back on track."
He compared Neal to former Patriot Tom Brady, saying he was the "greatest of all time" in his support of the state's needs. "The chairman was never a more than a phone call away," Baker said. "You never had to call him more than once if you wanted to talk to him about something that was important to the commonwealth, and I know I speak for the lieutenant governor, for myself and for everybody on our team, when we say how much his organization, his office, and he in particular have meant to our efforts here in the commonwealth."
Baker is one of a number of GOP governors including Vermont's Phil Scott urging the Biden administration and Congress to prop up states dealing with job and revenue losses in concert with urgent health and safety needs to ride out the pandemic. Days ago, West Virginia's Gov. Jim Justice was pressing Congress to "go big" in getting the stimulus package passed.
"We're now in a much better economic spot than we were last spring. But many of our residents are still unable to find a job, and our main streets are hurting, and many small businesses have not recovered from the pandemic and won't for months," said Baker, noting his fiscal 2022 budget is based on a projection of $1 billion less in revenue over last year.
The state is down about 330,000 jobs from last year this time, and the hospitality industry, tied tightly to Massachusetts' cultural economy, continues to take a hit.
Neal said Ways & Means will be writing about $941 billion of the president's stimulus proposal starting Wednesday morning and hopefully concluding on Friday.
"We will not get the economy back up and running until we defeat the virus. Last month's jobs report as you all had a chance to witness on Friday, offered a new glimpse as to where we find ourselves," he said. "Forty-seven thousand jobs created, 10 million jobs that were lost in the pandemic have not been returned."
More than 19 million Americans are receiving unemployment insurance, small businesses in particular are in trouble, and the nation's hospitals are "under siege."
The new stimulus picks up on the provisions in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act passed last March, which Neal said saved the economy at the time, including addressing unemployment, child care tax credits, and health insurance coverage, and shoring up employer pension plans.
"We do not go down this road without seeking a lot of input from a lot of different people. [Treasury Secretary] Janet Yellen and I have talked extensively, she helped me develop the CARES Act, I think that's a fair statement," the chairman said. "And in addition, we have sought advice across the spectrum from people as to how best to proceed, including an individual who has been very helpful as well — Jay Powell, chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, who has said go big. We intend to go big."
Tags: COVID-19, Neal, stimulus,
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