While he voted for the $900 billion COVID-19 relief package, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan said plenty more assistance from the federal government is needed to help those impacted by the pandemic.

“This package is way too late and not nearly big enough,” Ryan, D-Howland, said Tuesday.

Congress overwhelmingly approved the bill Monday night.

“This is not insignificant, but it doesn’t get us to where we need to be,” he said.

Ryan called the bill a “down payment” on helping the nation recover from the devastating impact of the pandemic and that another spending plan will need to be considered in a few more months. But he acknowledged Republican leaders — particularly Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky — aren’t interested in another effort now.

Before this was approved, the last bill to address the COVID-19 pandemic was approved in May.

This bill provides $600 direct payments to most Americans though Democrats had wanted $1,200 and Ryan has unsuccessfully pushed for $2,000 monthly payments since April.

He also is “disappointed” that the $300 in enhanced weekly unemployment benefits aren’t higher. The benefits were $600 under a previous bill passed in March with that amount expiring July 31.

Ryan also criticized Republicans for not giving money to state and local governments — saying it will lead to layoffs of police officers and firefighters.

“Both sides, in my estimation, have lost a little bit of touch with working-class families,” he said.

However, Ryan was pleased with the bill providing $8.75 billion to support efforts to vaccinate people, $284 billion for a second round of Paycheck Protection Program funds for businesses impacted by the pandemic as well as $15 billion for live event venues and cultural institutions, $25 billion in rental assistance and $10 billion for child care.

U.S. Reps. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta, and Dave Joyce, R-Bainbridge, also voted in favor of the bill.

Johnson said the process for the bill getting to the House was “a total embarrassment,” that was delayed by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, who wouldn’t vote on it before the election “because she didn’t want to give President (Donald) Trump a win. This isn’t just an accusation. It’s the truth.”

Johnson also said the legislation, which was part of a 5,593-page year-end spending bill, was released hours before the vote.

“It’s no way to govern,” he said.

Johnson said the bill “has more good than bad, which is why I supported it. Some of the reasons I voted for this legislation include: it extends the very successful Paycheck Protection Program to help small businesses and those funds are now nontaxable. This was a provision I fought very hard to include.”

He also said he voted for bill because it provides money for K-12 schools to assist in reopening for in-person learning and offers grants for childcare centers to safely reopen, $300 million for rural broadband expansion and $250 million for telehealth.

Joyce said: “It shouldn’t have taken so long for Congress to come together and agree on this package, but I’m thankful that much needed relief is finally on its way to hardworking Buckeyes struggling with the impact of this pandemic.”

With vaccines being distributed, Joyce said: “There is light at the end of the tunnel, but we’re not out of the woods yet. The relief in this bill will ensure our small businesses, workers, health care professionals, students and families have what they need to keep their heads above water until we defeat this virus once and for all.”

Joyce said the bill includes language he introduced that will lead to more customers and increase revenue for restaurants by providing a 100 percent deduction for business meal expenses through the end of 2022. The deduction is currently 50 percent of those expenses.

dskolnick@tribtoday.com