By Jon King / jking@whmi.com


8th District Democrat Elissa Slotkin says it would be a “shameful dereliction of duty” if Congress does not pass a COVID relief package.

Speaking Wednesday on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, Slotkin stressed the urgency of passing a package before the end of the year, saying that “Platitudes won’t feed a family. Empty words won’t get folks through the holidays.” She also called the lack of a deal a “slap in the face to the ICU nurses, the small business owners, and the frontline workers doing everything they can to weather this crisis.”

The House on Wednesday passed a temporary funding bill that sets a Dec. 18 deadline for Congress to wrap up both a virus relief measure and a $1.4 trillion government spending bill. The Senate is expected to pass the bill before midnight Friday to avert a partial government shutdown. Leaders are in agreement about helping small businesses and preserving extra unemployment benefits, but disagree over the details of the package.