Today’s federal government activity in response to COVID-19 includes House Democrats’ release of their Heroes Act as well as the following other developments:
Congress
Today, House Democrats unveiled their $3 trillion Heroes Act, with plans for a floor vote this Friday.
- Among other things, the Heroes Act provides approximately $900 billion for state and local governments; establishes a $200 billion “Heroes Fund” providing hazard pay for front line workers; allocates $75 billion for additional testing and contact tracing, as well as $100 billion in grants for hospital and health care providers to cover expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID; provides a second round of economic impact payments for families and individuals; extends enhanced unemployment benefits through next January; expands paid leave provisions as well as the CARES Act Employee Retention Tax Credit; provides $100 billion in education funding; provides additional safety net funding for food and nutrition, housing, and utility payment assistance; and includes a host of other policy priorities, including broadband funding, worker safety protections, supply chain measures, election security funding, student loan relief, assistance to agriculture producers, and grants for environmental justice.
- More details: Heroes Act (H.R. 6800) bill text; one page summary; section-by-section summary; state and local relief highlights
The bill is House Democrats’ opening bid for negotiations on the next relief package – which could be weeks, if not longer, away. Senate Republican Leader McConnell said yesterday he remains in communication with the White House and has not yet “felt the urgency of acting immediately” as Congresses assesses the nearly $3 trillion in relief funds allocated in previous packages.
- In floor remarks today, Leader McConnell reiterated his commitment to including COVID-related liability reforms in any future relief legislation, calling it a “red line.”
Also on Friday, the House will vote on a resolution authorizing remote voting by proxy and providing for official remote committee proceedings during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Tomorrow afternoon, the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis will hold its first briefing with a bipartisan group of experts on the requirements for safely reopening the country.
Recent Congressional Statements / Letters
- Senate HELP Chairman Alexander: United States COVID-19 Testing is Impressive — Enough to Begin Going Back to Work, May 12, 2020
- Senate HELP Ranking Member Murray: Experts Have Made Clear, U.S. Not Ready to Safely Reopen as Trump Administration Fails to Chart Path Forward on Tests, Supplies, and More, May 12, 2020
- Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Wicker Requests NOAA’s Plan for Hazardous Weather Communication During Pandemic, May 12, 2020
- Wicker, Walden Commend Automotive Sector for Meeting Challenges Posed by Pandemic, May 12, 2020
- Senate Commerce Ranking Member Cantwell to Mnuchin: Protect Critical Aviation Jobs, Support the Aerospace Supply Chain As CARES Act Intended, May 12, 2020
- Cantwell Calls on White House to Establish Federal COVID-19 Guidelines for Aviation Industry, May 11, 2020
- Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Brown Demands Financial Regulators Do More To Protect Workers and the Economy During and After the Coronavirus Pandemic, May 12, 2020
- Senators Shaheen, Bennet Announce Legislation to Improve Medicare Payments Program and Provide Financial Relief for Health Care Providers on Frontlines of Coronavirus Pandemic, May 12, 2020
- Van Hollen, Democratic Senators Urge HHS To Protect Consumers and Prevent Hospitals from Going After Workers’ Wages for Medical Debts, May 12, 2020
- Senators Menendez, Murphy Stress Need for Robust Flexible State Aid in Next COVID-19 Federal Stimulus, May 11, 2020
- Pallone and DeGette Raise Alarm at Insufficient COVID-19 Protections for Food Production Workers, May 12, 2020
- House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Velázquez Announces Virtual Committee Events in May, May 12, 2020
- Kilmer Leads Over 100 Legislators in Bipartisan Call for Economic Relief for Outdoor Recreation Industry, May 12, 2020
Other Stakeholder Letters
White House / Agency Activity
White House
Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
Small Business Administration
Department of Labor
Food and Drug Administration
- FDA updates on surveillance inspections during COVID-19, May 11, 2020
- FDA Takes New Actions to Accelerate Development of Novel Prevention, Treatment Options for COVID-19, May 11, 2020
- Postmarketing Adverse Event Reporting for Medical Products and Dietary Supplements During a Pandemic, May 11, 2020
- COVID-19: Developing Drugs and Biological Products for Treatment or Prevention: Guidance for Industry, May 11, 2020
- COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: General Considerations for Pre-IND Meeting Requests for COVID-19 Related Drugs and Biological Products : Guidance for Industry and Investigators, May 11, 2020
Department of Homeland Security
Department of Defense
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of Transportation
Environmental Protection Agency
Department of State
Federal Reserve
Federal Reserve publishes updates to the term sheet for the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF) and announces information to be disclosed monthly for the TALF and the Paycheck Protection Program Liquidity Facility, May 12, 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
