Karl W. Smith, Columnist

America Can’t Wait for More Covid-19 Relief

The legislative calendar should be dictated by the virus, not by Congress.

July 14, 2020 at 12:30 PM UTC

Karl W. Smith is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. Previously, he was vice president for federal policy at the Tax Foundation and assistant professor of economics at the University of North Carolina.

Time to make another deal.
Photographer: Win McNamee/Getty Images North America

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The next economic relief package from Congress was always going to be important for a strong recovery from the pandemic-induced recession. But the recent surge in Covid-19 deaths means it is now absolutely essential — and the calendar will be set by the coronavirus, not by Congress.

Congress has a limited window to act. It’s not quite now or never, but it is as about as close as it gets in Washington.