Today, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak issued the following statement after President Trump signed into law the bipartisan appropriations and coronavirus relief deal reached by Congress last week, H.R. 133.
After many long months, I am pleased that Congress reached a compromise to provide more aid to Americans and that the President finally signed the bill into law today after unnecessary delays. I am grateful to the federal delegation for their efforts to secure important Nevada priorities including funding to restart the Yucca Mountain project, small business aid transportation infrastructure, and support for our frontline workers.
I know many Nevadans will find some relief in the direct payments in the aid package as well as extended unemployment insurance benefits, and rental and food assistance programs that are critically needed at this time. But we know that this aid package is simply not enough to meet the needs of Nevadans or countless other Americans suffering throughout the country.
While this aid package will provide some relief to the 3.2 million residents of this State, I am disappointed in the amount of time it took Congressional leaders to come together in the spirit of compromise, and equally disappointed the President took an inordinate amount of time deciding whether or not to approve the plan and sign the bill over the holiday week, resulting in federally funded unemployment benefits expiring for thousands of Nevadans and Americans.
As officials from the Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation said on Christmas Eve, it will take time for federal money to reach the State to continue administering these programs and the delays at the federal level will cause a gap for many Nevadans in need. I know the DETR team will continue to work tirelessly to minimize the disruption caused by the federal delays.
In a statement, the President mentioned he was planning to send a “redlined version” of the bill back to Congress, with changes. The State team – including the Governor’s Finance Office – will continue to evaluate the funding in this stimulus package in its current form to determine how this will affect current programs in place, especially in light of the CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund arbitrary spending deadline being extended. The State will work closely with the federal delegation as there are more updates.
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