Today's federal government response related to COVID-19 includes:

Congress

The timing for House action on Democrats’ yet-to-be-unveiled CARES 2.0 proposal remains uncertain.

• Earlier today, Majority Leader Hoyer informed Members that conversations surrounding the CARES legislation and a Rules change related to remote work – including proxy voting as well as remote committee hearings and markups – are “ongoing.”

• Abiding by the 72 hour rule, Hoyer indicated the earliest the House would reconvene is this Friday, May 15. For a Friday vote, legislative text would need to be released tomorrow. The vote could slip to next week.

• In a weekend Dear Colleague, House Speaker Pelosi again highlighted her priorities for CARES 2.0.

Relevant Hearings This Week

• A May 12 Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing entitled, “COVID-19: Safely Getting Back to Work and Back to School”

• A May 12 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled, “Examining Liability During the COVID-19 Pandemic”

• A May 13 Senate Commerce Committee hearing entitled, “The State of Broadband Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic”

• A May 14 House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing entitled, “Protecting Scientific Integrity in the COVID-19 Response”

Recent Congressional Statements / Letters

• In New Letter To SBA Administrator, Schumer, Cardin, And Shaheen Call On SBA To Reverse Policy That Limits Economic Disaster Loan Program (EIDL) Loans To $150k And Demand SBA Open Up Program To Non-Farm Applicants, May 9, 2020

• Wicker, Crapo Request Information on Status of CARES Act Air Transportation Assistance, May 11, 2020

• Senator Grassley Leads Bipartisan Group of Senators in Urging Indemnity Support for Pork Producers During Pandemic, May 11, 2020

• Senator Casey Leads Bipartisan Push to Expand Delivery for SNAP Recipients During Pandemic, May 11, 2020

• Schatz Leads Bipartisan Group Of Senators To Call For $2 Billion In New Federal Funding To Help Health Care Providers Expand Telehealth Services During Pandemic, May 11, 2020

• Senators Cardin, Booker Release Plan to Prevent Underserved & Underbanked Small Businesses from Falling Further Behind During the COVID-19 Economic Crisis, May 10 2020

• Senate Energy Chair Murkowski Urges Federal Agencies to Coordinate to Ensure PPE for Firefighters, May 11, 2020

• Citing Supply Chain Concerns, Senator Peters Urges Administration To Secure Medical Supplies Needed To Distribute And Administer Coronavirus Vaccine, May 11, 2020

• House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Maloney Urges President to Make Good on Promise to Authorize FEMA to Cover Full Pandemic Costs for New York, May 11, 2020

• House Homeland Security, Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Leaders Urge DOT & DHS Establish an Aviation Working Group to Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic, May 9, 2020

• Peterson Leads Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers in Asking for FEMA Help on Livestock Depopulation, Disposal, May 8, 2020

• Congressional Hispanic Caucus Endorses Paycheck Guarantee Act, May 11, 2020

• Bipartisan Members Urge House Leaders to Promote Competition in Telecommunications Supply Chains, May 8, 2020

Other Stakeholder Letters

• Transportation Construction Coalition “Re-open, Renew and Revitalize” Campaign Tells Lawmakers: Economic Recovery Begins with Multi-Year Transportation Investment Package, May 11, 2020

• The Hill: Restaurant, travel, retail industries call for liability shield for businesses, May 11, 2020

• Coalition Letter Regarding National Infrastructure for Mitigating the Impact of COVID-19 within Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities, May 11, 2020

• U.S. Airlines Endorse Temperature Screenings Conducted by TSA, May 9, 2020

• America’s Largest Meatpacking Union Calls Rush to Re-Open Plants Without Safety Improvements Dangerous Move for Long-Term Security of U.S. Food Supply Chain, May 8, 2020

Agency Activity

Internal Revenue Service

• Why the Economic Impact Payment amount could be different than anticipated, May 11, 2020

Department of Labor

• U.S. Department of Labor Issues Guidance Announcing the Availability of $100 Million in Short-Time Compensation Grant Funds for States, May 11, 2020

• U.S. Department of Labor Issues Alert to Help Keep Dental Industry Practitioners Safe During the Coronavirus Pandemic, May 11, 2020

• U.S. Department of Labor Provides Additional Guidance to States On the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program, May 9, 2020

Small Business Administration

• SBA Paycheck Protection Program Loan Report Round 2, May 10, 2020

Department of Health and Human Services

• HHS announces shipments of donated remdesivir for hospitalized patients with COVID-19, May 9, 2020

Food and Drug Administration

• COVID-19 Update: FDA Authorizes First Antigen Test to Help in the Rapid Detection of the Virus that Causes COVID-19 in Patients, May 9, 2020

• Policy for Coronavirus Disease-2019 Tests During the Public Health Emergency (Revised): Immediately in Effect Guidance for Clinical Laboratories, Commercial Manufacturers, and Food and Drug Administration Staff, Revised Guidance, May 11, 2020

• Postmarketing Adverse Event Reporting for Medical Products and Dietary Supplements During a Pandemic, Guidance, May 11, 2020

National Institutes of Health

• Coordinated strategy to accelerate multiple COVID-19 vaccine candidates is key, NIH experts say, May 11, 2020

Department of Housing and Urban Development

• HUD Allocates Third Wave of CARES Act Funding Providing $1 Billion for Communities to Bolster Coronavirus Response and Relief Efforts, May 11, 2020

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

• FERC Provides Guidance to Oil Pipelines During COVID-19 Emergency, May 8, 2020

• Notice Concerning All Permitted Hard Copy Submissions, May 8, 2020

Federal Communications Commission

• FCC Grants GE Healthcare Waiver to Expedite Medical Equipment, May 11, 2020

Federal Reserve

Federal Reserve publishes updates to the term sheet for the Municipal Liquidity Facility, May 11, 2020

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