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Lawmakers In D.C. Reach Agreement On Passage Of Covid Relief Bill And Omnibus Spending Package

Source: Cheriss May / Getty

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is giving us a first-hand update to the Heroes Act and additional COVID-19 relief funds set to be given to Americans, hours after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked a vote on an increase to $2,000 checks on the Senate floor. The desire to increase stimulus payments to $2,000 has widespread support on both sides of the aisle, including from outgoing President Donald Trump.

“For those of you on unemployment, there’s a continued extension,” Jackson-Lee told KG Smooth on Tuesday (December 29). “There’s an extra $300 coming in your weekly unemployment. It will not come this week due to [Trump’s] delay but it will probably be in the next week or the week that follows.”

She added, “Then I want to let you know you are going to get a cash disbursement, right now $600. But last night, we voted to give you $2,000 which would be an extra $1,400 and also that you can get that for dependents. What does that mean? We Democrats know that many of you are taking care of people that are other than children. You’re taking care of an elderly, you’re taking care of a disabled person. You will able to get benefits for them if you’re eligible and making under a certain amount of money.”

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Jackson Lee also dove into the eviction moratorium and how it is now “law of the land” for the moratorium not to end on December 31.

“So many of you called our offices to help you with evictions and foreclosures,” she said. “Let me give you some good news that now is the law of the land, the eviction moratorium continues and so it does not end on 12/31. To the landlords, we ask for your patience working with these tenants because funds will be coming to help them and then they will able to help you. Let us work together, together we are better.”

She continued, “The eviction moratorium will continue but we are concerned about our small mom and pop landlords who understand can we work together. Those dollars will be coming to allow them to make some payments but the eviction moratorium to stop elders and children and families from not having a place to go and it now is law.”

Jackson-Lee has been vocal about COVID-19 relief as well as testing across the city of Houston and surrounding areas. Since the beginning of the pandemic in March, the congresswoman has partnered with numerous businesses, churches and United Memorial Medical Center to hold testing sites at over 40 different locations in the city.

Listen to her full conversation with KG Smooth below. Subscribe to The Public Affairs Podcast on SoundCloud and your preferred podcasting home.

RELATED: A Black Woman From New York Among The First Receive COVID-19 Vaccine [VIDEO]

RELATED: A Second Stimulus Has Been Approved, Here’s How Much You’ll Receive

Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Gives Update On COVID-19 Relief, Stimulus & More [AUDIO]  was originally published on myhoustonmajic.com