The bill lacks new money for state and local governments. Democrats had initially pushed for $1 trillion in aid to state and local governments. Mayors and governors have been sounding alarms over budget shortfalls and the hard choices they may be forced to make without help from Washington. States that rely heavily on the tourism or energy industries have suffered some of the hardest hits and are warning of tax hikes, public-sector layoffs of spending cut to public programs.

Source: Washington Post December 21, 2020 01:01 UTC