HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas First District Congressman Dr. Roger Marshall noted there are several provisions to help the public in the latest COVID-19 relief bill being voted on Monday.
"Most importantly, I think, we would start off with a direct payment to everyone who got a direct payment before from the previous CARES funding," Marshall said. "They'll be getting $600 per person. There's monies in there for the Paycheck Protection Program, so more of the small businesses would have an opportunity for a second bite of the apple. There's some funding in there, significant funding for more unemployment insurance. Those folks that still are not employed, it may be awhile. We've about 14 more weeks of unemployment insurance. There's funding to get the vaccines out, as well."
Regarding the vaccines, Marshall believes herd immunity is possible in 2021.
"I really think we have the potential to have herd immunity by the middle of March," Marshall said. "If the administration does its job, the vaccines are out there to reach herd immunity by the middle of March and that's when we're going to see the economy turn around. When the restaurants can stay open, when we can go to a spring baseball game, March Madness, all those things that we're looking forward to, that's when the economy's going to get cranked up."
Marshall believes they can push out at least 40 million doses in the next weeks.