BUFFALO, N.Y. — New York will see more than $54 billion from the latest COVID-19 spending package between money earmarked for businesses, families, governments and more. 

"There's more to be done," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, said. "This is not a stimulus. It's an emergency survival bill so today is a good day but it’s not the end of the story."

Dottie Gallagher Cohen, the president of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, said the regional chamber of commerce is generally pleased with the package.

"We were really concerned that nothing was going to get done until after the first of the year, so getting this done for the individuals and businesses and giving them some certainty prior to the end of the year was super important," she said.

The legislation includes a re-upping of the Paycheck Protection Program, a forgivable loan aimed at keeping employees on the payroll. Eligibility has expanded to include more nonprofits including chambers of commerce, as well as local newspaper and broadcasting companies.

Gallagher said they're all welcome developments for struggling small businesses.

"Quite frankly, businesses that maybe didn't take it in the first traunch may need it now and so we'll have to wait on see how many people take advantage of it,” she said.

Gallagher said the biggest concern were two things that were left out of the bill. She said a provision to give employers liability insurance against frivolous COVID-19 lawsuits is badly needed.

She also said there needs to be more direct aid to state and local governments.

"If those governments can't be made whole in some way, that's going to trickle down to taxpayers and that's going to trickle down to businesses and that will be devastating in terms of our economic recovery," Gallagher said.

She said she does believe Congress will address these issues early next year regardless of the political climate.

"You can't have these governments start declaring bankruptcy and all this other nonsense. That will be just too disruptive so I think Congress will come to its senses and something will be enacted after the first of the year," she said.