‘Everyone Is Confused’: Federal Aid Getting Caught Up In Red Tape If It Even Gets To States At All
Congress sent more than $150 billion in aid to states and cities two months ago, but many of the areas that need help the most have found they either don't qualify or can't get money. "I haven't got any money to fight the pandemic. My fight of the pandemic is go in your house and stay there," says Phil Stang, the volunteer mayor of Kimmswick, Missouri. Meanwhile, lawmakers say another relief package might not be coming until late July.
NPR:
Aid Money Sent To States To Manage Economic Crisis Isn't Going Where It's Needed
On the edge of the Mississippi River, the small historic city of Kimmswick, Mo. has an archaeological site with mastodon bones, Levee High Apple Pie at its famous Blue Owl Restaurant, and a volunteer mayor, Phil Stang. What it doesn't have right now is money. "They think I'm kidding but I'm not," Stang says. "I [will] have to go and do crazy electronic stuff like GoFundMe pages, or start a lemonade stand ... something." (Sullivan, 6/8)
WBUR:
Feds Spend Billions On COVID-19 Contracts, Often Without Fully Competitive Bidding
The U.S. government has granted contracts worth as much as $25 billion as it races to address the COVID-19 public health crisis. NPR reviewed a database of thousands of contracting actions and found more than 250 companies that got contracts worth more than $1 million without going through a fully competitive bidding process.Some of the companies, such as Baul's, had little or no experience with personal protective equipment. Others had never worked in the medical field at all. Contractors also included a company that imported vodka and a school security consultant. (Thompson, Rose and Benincasa, 6/9)
The Hill:
Senate GOP Leaders Don't Expect Next Coronavirus Bill Before Mid-July
Members of Senate GOP leadership said on Monday that they do not expect to be able to pass another coronavirus relief bill until mid-to-late July. The Senate is in session for more than three weeks before they leave Washington for a two-week July 4 recess. But several members of GOP leadership said on Monday that they do not expect to pass a bill before the break, delaying a fifth round of coronavirus relief until after they return on July 20. (Carney, 6/8)
In other economic news —
The Washington Post:
States Scramble To Deal With Potential Spikes In Unemployment Fraud, Prompting Democrats To Demand Answers
Senate Democrats are calling on the Trump administration to release more details about an alleged criminal operation designed to defraud state unemployment programs across the country, fearing these systems remain vulnerable to attack amid the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The lawmakers’ concerns stem from a memo the U.S. government circulated in May indicating scammers may have harnessed stolen Social Security numbers and other personal information to obtain weekly jobless benefits. (Romm, 6/8)
Stateline:
COVID-19 Forces Tough Decisions In Housing Assistance
After distributing hundreds of millions of dollars in the past three months, states and cities don’t have much money left to help struggling renters, leaving officials with an uncomfortable question: Who gets prioritized for help? COVID-19 is forcing local governments to make tough decisions about rental assistance: Some programs are relying on lotteries to ensure all applicants have a fair shot, while others are focusing on specific populations, such as workers ineligible for federal relief. (Wiltz, 6/9)
