All eyes in Washington were on the election last week, as votes continued to be counted in the Presidential race and many congressional races. Now that more information is known, we’ll have complete coverage in other posts on the blog. Though the election consumed much of the airtime, here are a few other notes from last week:
- New Post-COVID-19 Workforce Initiative: The Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Labor and Department of Agriculture launched a new initiative, Engaging as One Workforce for America. This initiative seeks to increase the capacity of local and state governments to engage displaced workers to lessen their time unemployed and create clear pathways back to employment, through a public-private partnership.
- Agreement in Congress for Funding the Government: On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said that both he and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) have agreed that an omnibus to continue funding the government should be passed, instead of another continuing resolution (CR). Congress must come to agreement on appropriations bills or pass a new CR during the lame duck session lto avoid a government shutdown, since the current CR expires on December 11.
- COVID-19 Stimulus Relief Bill Update: Before the election, some lawmakers were hopeful that they would be able to pass a stimulus relief bill when both chambers are back in session, however, it is still unclear when or if that will happen. Both Senate Majority Leader McConnell and House Speaker Pelosi called for a stimulus relief package to be passed now that the election is over, but the two are still at odds on the size of the bill. McConnell is calling for a “skinny” relief package while Pelosi rejects that idea and wants a more comprehensive relief package.
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