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Angus King: Pandemic Relief Package Expected By End Of Month

J. Scott Applewhite
/
Associated Press
Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, arrives at the Senate for a roll call vote to confirm Antony Blinken, President Joe Biden's nominee to be secretary of State, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021.

While the House and Senate have both approved a budget resolution that includes President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package, independent U.S. Sen. Angus King of Maine says it will take weeks for Congress to finalize the legislation for the president’s signature.

King says while the budget reconciliation process Democrats are using will allow final passage of the measure with a simple majority in both the House and Senate, a lot of work needs to be done to finalize language.

“The amendments that we passed were more advisory than actual changes in the proposed law,” he says. “That will come in the next step.”

King says he does not expect any major changes to the package as the process plays out over the next few weeks.

“Now there will be some negotiations, there will be lots of paperwork back and forth, but the target date is the end of the month,” he says.

As for the $1,400 stimulus payments for individuals, King says they are unlikely to be distributed before April.

Journalist Mal Leary spearheads Maine Public's news coverage of politics and government and is based at the State House.