On Wednesday, a Congress divided along party lines passed a landmark $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill championed by President Joe Biden.

Most noticeable to many Americans are provisions to provide up to $1,400 direct payments this year to most adults and extend $300 per week emergency unemployment benefits into early September.

The local reaction to the signing of the largest legislation to date for the new administration is a mixture of disappointment, in the amount of pandemic relief for families and to those who really need assistance, and confusion, about the distribution of money to county municipalities.

Carl “Sparky” Fleeger, of Butler, said that he supported aspects of the bill, including a portion to send stimulus checks to individual Americans.“But I think it's not enough,” Fleeger said. “With the amount of money we're sending overseas in the bill, they should be sending it to us instead.”He continued, “We're spending millions overseas. Where's that money coming from?”The bill, called the American Rescue Plan, contains funding for international measures aimed at addressing COVID-19. The 628-page American Rescue Plan is one of the biggest federal efforts in years to assist lower- and middle-income families.Fleeger said he suspects that taxes will go up in the future as compensation for the bill.“We shouldn't be spending money overseas,” he said. “Like (President Donald) Trump said, 'America first.'”And Sharon Vollmer, of Butler, said she agreed with the bill's intended goals.“We needed a bill that will actually provide relief to people, and that's what this is: for people and small business owners who need help to survive,” she said.Vollmer disagreed with people who said that taxes would be raised to fund this bill.“We're already paying taxes, and this time it's going toward something useful,” Vollmer said. “It's not like we're going to get out of paying taxes, so this way at least we know it's going toward something good.”She also noted that a portion of the funds will support vaccine production and distribution, which she welcomed as good news.

It is not yet known how the money allocated in the relief package for local governments will be distributed, said Tom Knights, Butler Township manager.The bill includes $350 billion for state, local and tribal governments. The state is expected to receive over $7 billion, based on previous reporting.Butler Township received $1.1 million through two rounds of grants from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, Knights said. The money was used to offset police wages, and money from the new relief bill could also be used for police wages, he said.Municipalities will not have to apply for the new relief money, but other information about how it would be distributed and how much will be directed to municipalities has not been provided, he said.The CARES Act funding was based on population, he added.“As the legislation develops, more information will come out,” Knights said. “We're waiting to see what the final tally is, and how they're going to make those distributions.”

Linda and George Coholich, of Harmony, said the stimulus package should be reserved for the people who need the assistance.“For the people that need (help), they should get it,” Linda Coholich said.“There are many, many people who need it,” George Coholich said. “Why give it to people who don't need it?”The Coholichs, who are retired, said they're also concerned this stimulus package includes “extras” that future generations of taxpayers will end up having to pay for.“That's putting a burden on our kids and their kids,” George Coholich said.He said he's concerned the stimulus package may put more emphasis on furthering federal political agendas than helping those financially affected by the pandemic.<i>The Associated Press contributed to this report.</i>