Congress Passes Relief Bill, But For Many Americans It Comes Too Late
Consider This from NPR
NPR
4.2 • 6.2K Ratings
🗓️ 22 December 2020
⏱️ 10 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Included in the newest bill are extended unemployment benefits and $600 direct deposit payments to most Americans. But for many people who previously lost their jobs and livelihoods, this relief comes too late. NPR's Lauren Hodges reports on the millions of people who are have been in financial limbo since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
And the financial impacts of the pandemic have not been felt evenly. Women and communities of color are bearing the greatest burden. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly spoke with associate professor of economics Michelle Holder of John Jay college at City University of New York, about how industries like retail and hospitality have been disproportionately gutted and when they might return to pre-pandemic levels.
In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community.
Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | It's been seven long months since the last stimulus bill. |
| 0:03.8 | On Monday night, Congress finally passed a new one. |
| 0:06.9 | If not in this vote, the A's are 91, the A's are 7, |
| 0:10.5 | the 60 vote threshold having been achieved, |
| 0:12.8 | the motion to concur is agreed to. |
| 0:15.1 | Getting to this point has been messy. |
| 0:17.5 | Senate Republicans have been trying since July. July. |
| 0:22.6 | To get more targeted, bipartisan relief into the hands of the American people. |
| 0:28.8 | The Republican leaders accusation that the blame for this bill's delay lies |
| 0:32.8 | totally on one side is just ridiculous. |
| 0:35.6 | It's Alice in Wonderland thinking. |
| 0:37.6 | It defies all the facts as to what we have seen. |
| 0:41.2 | The Senate's top Democrat, Chuck Schumer, and top Republican Mitch McConnell |
| 0:45.6 | speaking there on Monday morning. |
| 0:47.7 | Neither side got what they wanted. |
| 0:49.6 | Still, this $900 billion package does provide relief in a number of ways. |
| 0:54.2 | Unemployment benefits are extended. |
| 0:56.3 | There's help for renters. |
| 0:57.6 | We also have in the legislation direct payments, which we're not in the Republican bill. |
| 1:04.8 | Two Americans working families. |
| 1:06.8 | Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, on the House floor Monday, |
| 1:10.0 | those direct payments will come to $600 for most Americans, |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from NPR, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of NPR and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.