Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) indicated on Tuesday, May 26th, that the Senate was planning to unveil a new COVID-19 relief bill in the coming weeks. On May 15th, the House previously passed a new COVID aid package known as the HEROES Act, which provided $3 trillion in supplemental funding for a wide range of programs and initiatives. Both the House and Senate are looking to provide additional aid for agriculture. Many Senate Republicans, including Arkansas Senator John Boozman, have called for the Senate to do more than the House bill by providing more funding and authority for USDA to utilize through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to implement additional aid similar to the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) and Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). Majority Leader McConnell says any additional aid package must include liability protection for employers and businesses.
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https://www.agri-pulse.com/ext/resources/Podcasts2/Daybreak-Audio/May-2020/Daybreak_05292020.mp3