Karl W. Smith, Columnist

Congress Can Pass This Covid Relief Plan Right Now

Democrats and Republicans can haggle over state aid and liability protection later.

December 16, 2020 at 5:47 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.

The need is urgent.
Photographer: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

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With the holiday break looming, Congress has yet to pass a final relief package for 2020. The final sticking points are Republican resistance to state and local aid and Democratic misgivings about a Covid liability shield for businesses.

The answer to this deadlock is something I suggested nearly two months ago: Separate out the difficult-to-negotiate parts from the rest of the bill. This will allow critical funding for workers and businesses to go forward while assuring each side that it will still be leaving in place a vehicle to get the final two priorities passed when Congress reconvenes in the new year.