Both candidates running for the 13th Congressional District want to see the White House and congressional leaders continue negotiating on another COVID-19 relief package.
Prospects for another relief package have been all over the map this week. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump said on Twitter that he had ended talks with Congress about more stimulus. But the next day, the White House said it was “still willing to be engaged” on piecemeal aid bills, though it was not optimistic about a comprehensive aid bill.
Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday she told Trump's chief negotiator she's willing to consider a measure to prop up the airline industry, but only if that aid accompanies a broader bill with health protocols that Democrats say are needed to “crush the virus.”
Democrat Betsy Dirksen Londrigan is running for the 13th District that includes parts of Bloomington-Normal. She said “people need help now,” and called on U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, the Republican incumbent, to “demand the president continue to work to find a compromise.”
“It is unacceptable that President Trump has called off negotiations on COVID-19 relief as this pandemic continues to wreak havoc and claim the lives of more than 210,000 Americans,” Londrigan said.
Davis said he supports another round of COVID-19 relief, similar to the framework outlined by the Republican and Democratic members of the Problem Solvers Caucus last month.
“The federal government absolutely needs to step up to support small business, expand testing capabilities, provide support for state and local governments, enact liability protections for businesses and public entities like universities, and so much more,” Davis said. “I believe congressional leaders and the White House should not stop negotiating until a bipartisan compromise is reached. There’s more that needs to be done to get our country through this pandemic and doing nothing is unacceptable.”
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