Tom is Head of Municipal Strategy and Credit at HilltopSecurities, a financial services firm known for its municipal advisory practice. His expertise includes fixed income, municipal credit and research. Kozlik’s research and commentary have been featured on major financial TV news networks as well as Wall Street Journal, Investment News, and The Bond Buyer, and others.
Even with Democrats’ new, but narrow control of the U.S. Senate, it was unclear if direct aid, which was rejected by Republicans in Congress last year, will pass. It should be reinforced that state and local aid received significant pushback from lawmakers in 2020 and is likely to receive pushback in 2021 as well.
A big burst of federal aid for U.S. states and local governments in Democratic President-elect Joe Biden's massive fiscal stimulus plan helped higher-yielding debt from lower-rated issuers in the U.S. municipal bond market on Friday.