Below, please find a summary of the federal government’s activities in response to COVID-19 since our July 1 update. Please note that in light of the Congressional recess, we will only publish updates on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for the next two weeks.
Congress
On Saturday, President Trump signed into law a measure extending the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) application window through August 8, 2020. The bill passed both chambers last week, but not until after the application window closed June 30. The application portal
reopened this morning.
In a press conference earlier today, Senate Majority Leader McConnell said he expects one more COVID-relief package when Congress returns after the current district work period. Any proposal put forward by Senate Republicans is likely to be far less-sweeping than the $3 trillion
Heroes Act that passed the House in May – but may include similar provisions, such as additional state and local funding, as well as another round of direct payments to individuals. And, as Leader McConnell has suggested previously, the Senate’s proposal will include liability protections for businesses and other entities.
In a
press statement regarding the administration’s
PPP loan disclosures, Senate Small Business Committee Chairman Rubio (R-FL) said today, “… PPP and additional long-term recovery capital must be the priority for the next relief package.” He added, “I will continue to work with my colleagues on the small business task force to reach a bipartisan agreement on a targeted second round of PPP for underserved firms and additional resources for long-term resiliency.”
Last Thursday, the Senate
unanimously passed the
Protecting Nonprofits from Catastrophic Cash Flow Strain Act, authored by Senators Scott (R-SC), Brown (D-OH), Grassley (R-IA), and Wyden (D-OR). The bill would enable states to provide the
CARES Act’
s 50% emergency relief to reimbursing employers without requiring nonprofits to pay their full bill first.
While neither chamber is in session this week, the House has a number of COVID-related hearings scheduled.
July 7:
July 8:
July 9:
July 10:
Recent Congressional Statements / Letters
- Senators Schumer, Warren, Reps. Chuy García And Lee Introduce Legislation To Extend Nation-Wide Moratorium On Evictions, July 2, 2020
- Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Murray and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Pallone Criticize Trump for Endangering People With Anti-Science Rhetoric Regarding COVID-19 Pandemic, July 6, 2020
- Senators Klobuchar, Menendez, Wyden, and Colleagues Urge State Department to Ensure Americans Overseas Can Vote During Pandemic, July 6, 2020
- Senator Cortez Masto Introduces Legislation to Reduce Student Loan Payments, July 6, 2020
- Senator Tillis, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Support Livestock and Poultry Producers Affected by COVID-19, July 6, 2020
- Senator Merkley, Colleagues Investigation How the Largest Food Processors and Farm Operators are Protecting Workers from COVID-19 Outbreaks, July 6, 2020
- Senators Gardner, Smith, and Cassidy Lead Bipartisan Effort Calling on Nation’s Top Health Agencies to Ensure Expanded Telehealth Services Continue Beyond Pandemic, July 6, 2020
- Senator McSally Urges HHS to Provide Relief to Rural Health Care Providers Affected by COVID-19 Pandemic, July 6, 2020
- Senator Warren Joins Colleagues in Requesting Funds for the Developmental Disabilities Network, July 2, 2020
- Senator Gillibrand Calls For Direct Federal Relief Funding For Local Governments Responding To And Recovering From Coronavirus Pandemic, July 3, 2020
- Senators Warren, Maloney, Markey Release Findings from First Comprehensive Survey of COVID-19 in Assisted Living Facilities & Introduce Assisted Living Facility Coronavirus Reporting Act, July 2, 2020
- Senators Hoeven, Boozman, Smith & Sinema Introduce Flexible Financing for Rural America Act, July 2, 2020
- House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Maloney: Treasury Department Says CARES Act “Clear”—Will Comply with Independent Inspectors General Oversight, July 6, 2020
- Chairwoman Maloney Releases Memo with New Information on Trump Administration’s Failure to Lead on PPE, July 2, 2020
- House Budget Committee Chairman Yarmuth’s Statement on CBO’s Updated Economic Outlook, July 2, 2020
- House Coronavirus Select Committee Ranking Member Scalise Calls on Democrats to End Burdensome, Baseless Probe into PPP Lenders, July 2, 2020
- House Financial Services Committee Ranking Member McHenry: The Main Street Lending Program Will Help Ensure a Strong Economic Recovery, July 6, 2020
- Representative Sánchez Introduces Bill to Boost Nonprofit Workforce During Pandemic, July 6, 2020
- Representative Katko Calls on Congress to Expand SNAP Benefits, Ensure Food Security During COVID-19 Pandemic, July 6, 2020
- Blue Dogs Introduce Legislation to Combat Chinese Government Efforts to Exploit the COVID-19 Pandemic, July 2, 2020
Other Stakeholder Statements / Letters
Federal Reserve
White House / Agency Activity
White House
Treasury Department
Department of Labor
Department of Health and Human Services
Food and Drug Administration
- FDA Issued Emergency Use Authorization for Point of Care Antigen Test, July 6, 2020
- COVID-19 Update: Daily Roundup, July 6, 2020
- COVID-19 Update: Daily Roundup, July 2, 2020
- FDA Authorizes Additional COVID-19 Combination Diagnostic Test Ahead of Flu Season, July 2, 2020
- FDA Takes Action to Warn, Protect Consumers from Dangerous Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers Containing Methanol, July 2, 2020
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Department of Homeland Security
Department of State
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Federal Trade Commission
Environmental Protection Agency
State / Local Activity
Given the plethora of state and local actions, we recommend MultiState’s
COVID-19 Policy Tracker as a comprehensive tool to monitor the response
