Michael R. Strain, Columnist

Both Parties Should Embrace This Stimulus Bill

Democrats can accept liability protection for business, and Republicans need to approve money for states.

December 8, 2020 at 6:17 PM UTC

Michael R. Strain is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is director of economic policy studies and Arthur F. Burns Scholar in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute. He is the author of “The American Dream Is Not Dead: (But Populism Could Kill It).”

Time to accept a good compromise plan.
Photographer: Brendan Smialowski-Pool/Getty Images

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The $908 billion bipartisan stimulus that Congress is debating right now would give the economy the support it needs. The House and Senate should pass a bill this week.

Democrats are reluctant to support it in large part because it includes protection for employers against lawsuits related to Covid-19. Republicans are reluctant to support it because it would give federal grants to state and local governments. Each party should accept the elements it opposes. They are politically necessary — and they are sound policies that appropriately address real needs.