Day 48: Pathways to Reopening
The nation continues to temper the stress of the pandemic and insurrection with heated debates and lifting restrictions.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) added to the states rolling out reopening with a plan effective this Friday. Tourists may visit without quarantine plans, houses of worship and small businesses — including restaurant, gyms and retailers — may welcome their full capacity and larger arenas may operate at half-capacity. The state’s 6-feet social distance and mask policy are still in place.
“With the pace of vaccinations rapidly rising and our health metrics steadily improving the lifting of these restrictions is a prudent, positive step in the right direction and an important part of our economic recovery,” Hogan said a press conference announcing the Executive Order.
“These steps are made possible because of Marylanders wearing masks, washing their hands, keeping their distance and following the public health advice.
The Biden-Harris Administration concurs with support for small businesses. President Biden visited Washington D.C.’s oldest hardware store, W.S. Jenks & Son, to talk with the owner and employees about the Paycheck Protection Program.
“Unfortunately, a lot of companies like this, with fewer than 20 employees, were left out of previous rounds of small-business relief,” said Deputy Director of the National Economic Council for Financial Reform and Consumer Protection Bharat Ramamurti, at the White House Press Briefing. “Too many mom-and-pop businesses and too many minority-owned businesses were left behind, while larger, well-connected businesses got funds quickly.
“The President and the Vice President have made it a top priority to ensure that this round of small business relief is distributed more equitably and that the companies that may not have gotten relief before have a shot at getting relief now.”
Inside the Capitol, both the House and Senate are back in session after back-to-back debates flowed into Saturday morning votes. The House is once again reviewing the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan and Democrats are confident it’ll pass soon enough for relief by the end of the month.
The package is projected to lift some 10 million children above or closer to the poverty line.
“I wanted to acknowledge, specifically, the women of America,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said for the record on International Women’s Day. She pointed to increased support for caregivers, funding for safely reopening schools and the child tax credit for example.