Today’s federal government activities in response to COVID-19 include:
Congress
Later this evening, the House is expected to pass its $3 trillion Heroes Act, setting its opening offer for the next phase of COVID-19 relief legislation. The vote is likely to be close, with little Republican support and some opposition among both moderate and progressive Democrats.
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The Heroes Act is a nonstarter in the Republican-controlled Senate, which isn’t expected to move forward on another relief bill for at least a few more weeks.
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The White House is also opposed to the bill. According to a Statement of Administration Policy on the House bill, “The Administration remains committed to working with Congress in a bipartisan manner to address any potential additional legislation needed to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. When additional legislation is contemplated, it should include a payroll tax holiday, safe harbor provisions to protect businesses from frivolous lawsuits, permitting reform to facilitate infrastructure projects, and other policies to spur our economic comeback.”
The House is also expected to adopt a temporary rules change allowing for proxy votes on the floor and remote committee proceedings. Last night, the Rules Committee released proposed regulations on Voting by Proxy and Committee Proceedings.
Yesterday, by Unanimous Consent, the Senate passed legislation authored by Senators Booker (D-NJ) and Grassley (R-IA) to improve timely access to financial assistance for families of public safety officers lost to COVID-19.
Upcoming Hearings
With the Senate in session and House committees cleared to hold remote or hybrid hearings, a number of COVID-19-related hearings are scheduled for next week:
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A May 19 House Appropriations Committee (Military Construction / Veterans Affairs Subcommittee) hearing on the VA’s Response to COVID-19
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A May 19 House Energy and Commerce (Communications and Technology Subcommittee) Teleconference Forum with FCC Chairman Pai on issues related to COVID-19
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A May 20 House Education and Labor Committee (Workforce Protections Subcommittee) hearing entitled, “Examining the Federal Government’s Actions to Protect Workers from COVID-19”
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A May 20 House Small Business Committee virtual forum on the “Effects of COVID-19 on Rural Economies” and a May 21 virtual forum on Business Interruption Coverage (more here)
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A May 19 Senate Banking Committee hearing on the quarterly CARES Act report to Congress
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A May 20 Senate Commerce Committee business meeting to consider a number of measures and nominations
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COVID-19 related legislation on the agenda includes: S. 3681, to require a joint task force on the operation of air travel during and after COVID-19 pandemic (Markey) and S. 3728, to require the Secretary of Transportation to support the efforts of State and local governments to provide for priority testing of essential critical infrastructure workers with respect to COVID-19 (Wicker)
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A May 21 Senate Aging Committee hearing to examine caring for seniors amid the COVID-19 crisis
Recent Congressional Statements / Letters
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100 Mayors Across Country Endorse Booker, Daines, Murray Bipartisan, Bicameral Small Business Relief Plan, May 15, 2020
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As the Trump Administration Pressures Meat Processing Plants to Open, Democratic Senators Urge Action to Ensure Worker Safety, May 15, 2020
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Senator Menendez Leads Bipartisan Request for Additional Measures to Ease Borrowing Costs for State and Local Governments Fighting COVID-19, May 15, 2020
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Senators Brown, Wyden Press Labor Department to Speed up Unemployment Disbursements and Address System Shortfalls, May 14, 2020
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Senator Tillis Releases Plan To Hold China Accountable For COVID-19 And Protect America’s Economy, Public Health, And National Security, May 14, 2020
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Protecting Civil Liberties During Covid-19: Eshoo, Schakowsky, Cardenas, DelBene, Butterfield, Clarke Introduce The Public Health Emergency Privacy Act, May 15, 2020; text of companion Senate bill
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House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair DeFazio Presses U.S. Airlines to Apply Social Distancing Policies Amid Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, May 14, 2020
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Chairman Scott Demands Education Department Abandon Plan to Use COVID-19 Relief Money to Fund Private School Voucher Scheme, May 15, 2020
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House Science Committee Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Foster Holds Bipartisan Roundtable on COVID-19 Vaccine Research and Development, May 14, 2020
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House Small Business Committee Ranking Member Chabot: SBA Inspector General Details Report on SBA Implementation of PPP, May 15, 2020
Other Stakeholder Letters / Statements
White House / Agency Activity
White House
Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Department of Commerce / International Trade Administration
Department of Homeland Security
Department of Agriculture
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Federal Trade Commission
Federal Reserve
Financial Stability Report, May 15, 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
[View source.]
