In an interview with Chris Ryan and Justin McIsaac, Senator Maggie Hassan discusses the next round of COVID relief spending, weighs in on how to safely reopen the schools, explains why she thinks that the second impeachment trial of President Trump is necessary, and evaluates President Biden’s input and the need for bipartisan cooperation in a pandemic relief plan.
Senator Hassan has been listening to the objections that some members of Congress have raised that COVID relief checks have been going to people with high incomes or whose lives have not been affected by the shutdowns. As a result, there is a need to balance the genuine need for financial relief for some people and to get the economy going and being responsible with taxpayer money.
The next round of COVID spending has two separate goals—relief and recovery. Relief spending is needed for the unemployed and businesses shuttered by the shutdowns. Recovery spending is needed to get the economy reopened. We need to get schools open safely by getting the teachers and staff vaccinated and provided with the materials needed to keep everyone safe. Also, funding is needed to bridge the learning gaps from remote learning.
The CDC-Center for Disease Control has said that schools can reopen without vaccinating all of the teachers and staff. Senator Hassan questions whether all schools have the ability to provide social distancing or adequate ventilation to reopen safely. Going forward, schools may need to find ways to bridge learning gaps or to address the social and emotional issues caused by the shutdown.
Senator Hassan believes that the impeachment trial of President Trump is necessary because the charges and the precedents being established are so serious, “We need to hold the former president accountable. . . because he violated the Constitution; but also, we don’t want future leaders to think that in the final days of their presidency they have a blank check to do whatever they want.”
The Senator is confident that the urgent need for a pandemic relief package and President Biden’s efforts to reach out to Republican lawmakers will combine to produce a comprehensive bill which will have bipartisan support.