Read a full transcription of today’s interview, courtesy of eCourt Reporters
Wisconsin’s Democratic senator says that the U.S. Senate could have moved faster on passing legislation originally from the House of Representatives to help both families and small business owners who are being affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’d have to say disappointed that we didn’t make quick business of that on Monday this week,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin on WTMJ’s “Steve Scaffidi Show.”
“To have finished it on Monday would have required unanimous cooperation from every Senator, and there are a couple who were insisting upon amendments.”
She described the package as “focused on families and workers and small business.”
“It makes sure that everyone who should stay home and socially isolate can make sure to do so without losing a paycheck,” she added.
Other aspects of the legislation, she says, involve free testing.
“It doesn’t mean everybody needs to be tested…focusing only on a small number of folks who have symptoms and are recommended by their doctor for testing,” Senator Baldwin added.
“We don’t want lack of insurance or being enrolled in a junk plan that doesn’t cover anything, or somebody who has a high deductible plan, we don’t want that to be something that causes them not to seek testing for coronavirus.”
Senator Baldwin also spoke about expansions of unemployment benefits in the package, along with aspects that would assist poor families’ needs to have schools provide meals for their children, schools that may now be closed.
“As schools close, we want to make sure children who rely on schools for their one hot meal of the day are still going to be able to have access to nutritional assistance.”
She did not give a judgment on the content of the amendments themselves while in the discussion with Steve today.
Senator Baldwin also explained how a third package is coming “to deal with various aspects of this crisis, particularly the measures we can take to keep people socially isolating, socially distancing so we don’t peak with infections and overwhelm the capacity of our medical system.”