Because Republicans and Democrats plan to get back to negotiations Friday, we can’t tell you exactly what is in the $900 billion coronavirus relief package that might or might not coalesce in the coming hours. It won’t address funding for cash-strapped state and local governments or stop business from getting sued over their handling of the virus.
But there would be money sent to people through various routes.
Marc Goldwein, senior vice president and senior policy director for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, spoke with “Marketplace Morning Report” host David Brancaccio about this, and the following is an edited transcript of their conversation.
Marc Goldwein: Well, there are still ongoing negotiations, but it sounds like the [direct payment] checks portion could be $600 a person, $700 per person. The president has been asking for $1,200 to $2,000. But it sounds like the negotiators are closer to that $600 range.
David Brancaccio: And then the feds might top up the state unemployment benefits again, but just not quite at the level they were?
Goldwein: So remember back during the CARES Act, for a period of time, unemployed benefits had an extra $600 a week. That was really quite massive. This time, they’re talking about more like an extra $300 a week.
Brancaccio: And not forever. For 10 weeks, possibly?
Goldwein: First we heard 16 weeks, then we heard 10 weeks. Negotiations are ongoing, but it sounds like into March or possibly into April.
Brancaccio: You think 10 weeks is, what, maybe a little short?
Goldwein: Well, what we really need in this package is a bridge to when the weather is warmer and the vaccines are disseminated. Which, your guess is as good as mine, but I think it’s probably into April or possibly the beginning of May. Not when everyone is vaccinated, but when things are at least going in the right direction in terms of normalizing. And, so yeah, I’m looking for a package that could get us to April or May.
Which essential workers should be prioritized for vaccines?
Americans have started to receive doses of the first COVID-19 vaccine. Front-line health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities will be first to get the shots, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance. Essential workers will be considered next, but with limited vaccine doses and a lot of workers considered essential, the jockeying has already started over which ones should go to the front of the line: meatpacking workers, pilots, bankers and ride-share drivers among them. The CDC will continue to consider how to best distribute the vaccine, but ultimately it’s up to each state to decide who gets the shots when.
Could relaxing patents help poorer countries get vaccines faster?
The world’s poorest countries may not be able to get any vaccine at all until 2024, by one estimate. To deliver vaccines to the world’s poor sooner that, some global health activists want to waive intellectual property protections on vaccines, medicines and diagnostics. India, South Africa and Kenya have asked the World Trade Organization to allow pharmaceutical plants in the developing world to manufacture patented drugs without having to worry about lawsuits. The United States, Britain and the European Union, have repeatedly rejected the proposal at the WTO.
The Pfizer vaccine has to be kept in extreme cold at minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit. And keeping it that cold requires dry ice. Where does that dry ice come from?
Also, is there enough of it to go around? And how much is it going to cost? The demand for dry ice is about to spike, and a whole bunch of industries are worried. Now, dry ice sells for $1 to $3 a pound. While the vaccine gets priority, smaller businesses and nonessential industries may end up losing out.
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