Negotiators report progress on long-delayed COVID aid bill Top negotiators are reporting at least some progress on a long-delayed COVID-19 aid package after a rare meeting of Capitol Hill’s four most senior lawmakersWASHINGTON -- Top negotiators reported at least some progress on a long-delayed COVID-19 aid package Tuesday after a rare meeting of Capitol Hill's four most senior lawmakers. He is pressing a lowest-common-denominator approach that would drop the lawsuit shield idea for now if Democrats agree to drop the $160 billion state and local aid package. Lawmakers also worked to finalize a yearend catchall funding package that will be the basis for the last significant legislation of the Trump presidency. A state and local aid package was part of the almost $2 trillion CARES Act that passed the Senate unanimously in March. The $150 billion aid package to states and large cities evoked little controversy then, but many Republicans are adamantly against the idea now, though any additional aid would also go to smaller municipalities left out of the prior round.

Source: ABC News December 15, 2020 12:16 UTC