I'm Brian Lehrer. This is my daily politics podcast from WNYC Studios. It's Tuesday, February 9th.

As the national politics media focuses primarily on the Trump impeachment trial that begins today, and yes, we will have

live coverage of the proceedings beginning at 1 o'clock. The urgent business of passing the

next COVID relief bill is also taking place. Tomorrow, the House Ways and Means Committee is

expected to begin writing the actual bill, likely to include $1,400 checks to people with incomes of $75,000 a year or less,

and phasing out gradually between $75,000 and $100,000.

There would be an unemployment insurance add-on of $3 to $400 a week through August.

The current $300 boost is set to expire on March 14th.

So timing is crucial here. Democrats are also looking now at increasing the child tax credit

to $3,600 for each child under six years old, $3,000 for kids six through 17.

Now, as with the pandemic itself, lower income people, and especially

black and Latino lower income people, are the hardest hit. And as with many things that fall

into that category, Republicans in Congress are saying everyone else can't afford the amount of

spending that's being proposed to help,

currently $1.9 trillion, though President Biden says he's open to negotiation on the top line

number and certain specific items.

So what about housing assistance?

What about aides of state and local government so desperately needed in many states?

What about money to open schools with expensive COVID protections?

What about the $15 minimum wage, a permanent policy change beyond immediate COVID relief that some people want to be part of the bill?

And as important as any of the particulars in this bill, why is Congress debating relief bills piecemeal every few months rather than just pegging relief to measurable conditions in people's financial lives?

Joining me now is a guest who makes a case for doing just that.

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