US Senate Dems seek more vaccine distribution funding

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other top Democrats are pushing for more federal funding for vaccine distribution as talks on a long-delayed COVID-19 aid package intensified Tuesday.

"Until we eradicate this virus, we need to fully fund not only production of the vaccine, but its distribution as well," the New York Democrat said.

"The states badly need that money, and we need to get it done for every American," he said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is playing a strong hand in the lame-duck session and is pressuring Democrats to drop a much-sought $160 billion aid package for states and local governments struggling to balance their budgets because of the pandemic.

Rank-and-file Democrats appear increasingly resigned to having to drop, for now, the party's demand for fiscal relief for states and local governments whose budgets have been thrown out of balance by the pandemic.

"I think we need to do at least two two key things," said Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania.

"First, having more funding for state and local governments to distribute the vaccine and conduct mass vaccination campaigns on a scale that is unprecedented. So they're going to need help doing that," he said.

"We need also to instill confidence in the vaccine among the public" he said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has insisted for months that state and local aid would be in any final bill, but as time is running out, many Democrats appear unwilling to hold the rest of the package hostage over the demand.

But top Democratic allies of President-elect Joe Biden came out in support of a $748 billion plan offered by a bipartisan group of lawmakers and hinted they won't insist on a pitched battle for state and local aid now.

Hawaii's Democratic Sen. Mazie Hiriono says her state can't carry out the vaccine distribution without more support from the federal government.

"It's going to cost the state of Hawaii something like 25 to 75 million dollars to distribute this vaccine in Hawaii.," she said.

"Just know that is already furloughing their people, so while there's hope on the horizon, we have a lot more to do to enable the vaccination to to be distributed to all the groups and communities that need them."