Rep. Cedric Richmond said Tuesday that a deal for a new coronavirus stimulus package needs to be worked out by Christmas instead of waiting until President-elect Joe Biden takes over the White House in January.
Richmond, speaking during a press conference to formally announce his plans to leave Congress for a senior adviser post in the Biden administration, said the aid package has been held up since the summer by the GOP-controlled Senate.
“We passed the HEROES Act almost 145 days ago, which would have given aid to local and state governments that are in desperate need … and it’s been held up in the Senate by [Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell,” Richmond said, The Hill reported.
The Louisiana Democrat and former Congressional Black Caucus chair, who was reelected earlier this month before gaining his new position in the incoming administration, said a resolution is necessary before Biden takes office.
“We have a responsibility as a federal government to help people, and I believe that we will get it done. But we should get it done before Christmas,” the Democratic lawmaker said, The Hill reported. “We should not wait to drop this on the lap of the next president. We are the United States Congress — the House and the Senate — and we should get it done.”