Kelsey Snell
Kelsey Snell is a Congressional correspondent for NPR. She has covered Congress since 2010 for outlets including The Washington Post, Politico and National Journal. She has covered elections and Congress with a reporting specialty in budget, tax and economic policy. She has a graduate degree in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. and an undergraduate degree in political science from DePaul University in Chicago.
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House Democrats plan a Friday vote on another massive relief bill that has more money for states, help for the jobless and virus-testing funds. Republicans immediately called it a partisan wish list.
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A trio of Senate Democrats wants to give $2,000 per month to individuals through the end of the health emergency. One Senate Republican suggests covering payroll for companies that rehire workers.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci and other members of the coronavirus task force will testify before a GOP-led Senate committee next week but have been blocked from making similar appearances in the House so far.
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The House majority leader initially told House Democrats the chamber would convene next week. A bipartisan task force is looking at options for remote voting and committee work.
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It is the fourth measure approved by Congress in less than two months to combat the pandemic. This one, totaling $484 billion, will supply fresh funding to a new small business lending program.
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Both Republicans and Democrats agreed that a small-business program that ran out of money needed a major infusion. Negotiators also added resources for hospitals and testing.
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Governors are signaling a dire financial picture for states as Congress spars over including state and local funds along with additional money for small business loans.
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Democrats want to funnel the extra funding through community-based financial institutions, which they say help businesses owned by minorities, veterans and rural Americans across the country.
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Over the past 10 years, the IRS budget has been reduced by roughly 20%, leaving the agency with aging technology and forcing it to cut back on staff and training.