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The $2,000 Question
Will millions of Americans get $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks? The answer lies in the Senate, where the plan stalled out as Republicans blocked a swift vote proposed by Democrats and split within their own ranks.
The roadblock mounted by Senate Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) may not be sustainable as pressure grows. President Trump says he wants the Republican-led chamber to follow the Democrat-led House and increase the checks from $600. A growing number of Republicans, including two senators in a runoff election on Jan. 5 in Georgia, have said they will support the larger amount. But most GOP senators oppose more spending, even if they are also wary of defying Trump.
The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the balance sheets of all types of businesses this year, but perhaps none so seriously as small, independent restaurants. The financial insecurity and lack of federal aid has been made worse by inconsistent messaging and selective enforcement of regulations on a local level.
This episode of “Off Menu” focuses on Seafood Cove 2 in Westminster, one restaurant that has felt the whipsaw back-and-forth of pandemic regulations. Siblings Eddie and Iris Lai run the day-to-day of the family-owned dim sum place and have struggled to earn enough money to stay afloat while simultaneously prioritizing the safety of guests and employees.