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Progressive Representatives Cori Bush and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are leading a group of House Democrats in pressuring party leadership to include an expansion of unemployment aid in the $3.5 trillion tax and spending package being drawn up in Congress. “The current state of the unemployment system is a threat to all communities, especially Black and brown communities, in many of the states we represent,” 13 lawmakers wrote in a letter Thursday to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. “We strongly urge Congress to include such improvements before the Build Back Better Act comes for a vote in the House and Senate.” (Dillard, 9/16)

The California state auditor is warning that residents could potentially lose hundreds of millions of dollars in federal rental assistance granted amid the coronavirus pandemic due to state officials’ delayed allocation of the money. Auditor Elaine Howle wrote in a Thursday letter to California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and state legislative leaders that the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) “must commit additional benefits to eligible households in order to reduce the State’s risk of losing millions of dollars in federal funds for this program at the end of September 2021.” (Castronuovo, 9/16)

Kentucky has paid more than $65 million in rent and utility relief to residents during the pandemic, including more than $51 million since March, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday. Roughly $152 million is still available. If a tenant is facing eviction, Beshear encourages them to apply for assistance, speak with their landlord, contact a local legal aid agency and ask a judge for additional time while they await their assistance through the fund. (9/17)

Democrats in Congress face difficult decisions about how to tackle prescription drug costs for seniors after it emerged as a sticking point between lawmakers trying to push a sweeping spending and tax bill across the finish line. The package is full of contentious issues, but President Joe Biden's proposal to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices has already hit opposition among some Democrats, and is the target of extensive lobbying efforts by pharmaceutical companies. (Kapur, 9/16)

KHN: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Much Ado About Drug Prices 

Congressional Democrats are finding it harder to actually write legislation to lower drug prices than it is to make promises about it. But the drug price provisions of the $3.5 trillion social-spending bill are critical — not only to keep that promise to voters but to produce savings that will pay for many of the other promised improvements, like new dental and other benefits for Medicare patients. Meanwhile, the abortion debate has been jolted by the Supreme Court’s decision to allow a highly restrictive law to take effect in Texas. And the Biden administration unveils a “Covid Control 2.0” strategy that includes more sticks and fewer carrots. (9/16)