By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com


Livingston County’s representative in the U.S. House is sharing her thoughts on the newly passed COVID relief package.

Congress passed $900-billion relief package Monday that will extend federal unemployment benefits, provide a $600 per person and child direct stimulus payment, and add more than a quarter-trillion dollars to the Paycheck Protection Program for starters. 8th District Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin voted in favor of the relief, giving credit to the Problems Solvers Caucus in Washington that she is a part of. The caucus is comprised of 25 Democrats and 25 Republicans.

In a release, which is attached, the Holly Democrat said that bi-partisan caucus refused to go home for Christmas without a deal, and that it was their former bill that jump-started negotiations and served as the basis for the package that was passed. Slotkin said the emergency relief is designed to be a bridge that will get folks to the spring, but there are some shortcomings with it. She said, unfortunately, it doesn’t include aid to the state and local governments which may mean some will have to make tough decisions regarding layoffs and cuts to basic services, and it leaves out grants dedicated to local restaurants.

Slotkin said she hopeful that when the new Congress meets in January that they can come back and address the issues of state and local aid that Monday’s relief package doesn’t address. She said, still, at a time when politics is so deeply divided, that passing this package proves bi-partisan cooperation is still possible when a group of members sits down to get it done.