Today's federal government actions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic include:

Congress

Tomorrow, the U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the bipartisan $484 billion “interim emergency” relief package passed by the Senate yesterday

• As reported in our Tuesday update, the bill contains $310 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, $60 billion for the SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) / grant program, $75 billion for hospital and healthcare providers, and $25 billion for COVID-19 testing

Also tomorrow, the House will vote on a resolution to create a special committee to oversee stimulus spending.

Meanwhile, House plans to vote on a resolution authorizing remote voting by proxy have been shelved following an agreement by Speaker Pelosi and Republican Leader McCarthy to task a bipartisan group to review both voting by proxy and reopening the House.

With Members back in Washington, the House Committee on Small Business has scheduled a Thursday morning “Member Day” hearing to solicit feedback on the PPP and EIDL programs.

Recent Congressional Statements / Letters

• House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Neal Comments on Additional Allocations of $100 Billion COVID-19 Fund for Health Care Providers, April 22, 2020
• House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Velázquez on Bipartisan Deal to Fund Small Business Relief Programs, Set-Aside Funding for Community Lenders, April 22, 2020
• E&C Committee Members Hold Bipartisan Teleconference with FDA Commissioner Hahn on COVID-19 Response, April 22, 2020
• Senate HELP Chairman Alexander: Senate “Pulls Out All the Stops” to Help Increase COVID-19 Testing, April 21, 2020
• Following Murray Proposal, Democrats Secure Testing Expansion In Latest COVID-19 Package, April 21, 2020
• Senate Energy Committee Chair Murkowski Joins Colleagues in Urging Loans to Protect American Energy Jobs, April 22, 2020
• Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Wyden Statement on Unemployment Assistance Affected by GOP Governors “Reopening” States, April 22, 2020
• Schatz, Whitehouse, Senators Demand Transparency In Federal Reserve’s Corporate Debt Purchases, April 20, 2020

Agency Activity

Department of Labor

• U.S. Department of Labor Issues Alert to Help Keep Construction Workers Safe during The Coronavirus Pandemic, April 21, 2020

Department of Health and Human Services

• HHS Awards Nearly $165 Million to Combat the COVID-19 Pandemic in Rural Communities, April 22, 2020

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

• Trump Administration Launches New Toolkit to Help States Navigate COVID-19 Health Workforce Challenges, April 22, 2020

Department of Homeland Security

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic: Addressing PPE Needs in Non-Healthcare Setting, FEMA, April 22, 2020
• CBP Extends Temporary Closure of Trusted Traveler Program Enrollment Centers, April 22, 2020

Department of State

• COVID-19: Updates on Health Impact and Assistance for American Citizens Abroad, April 22, 2020

Department of Agriculture

• USDA Increases Monthly SNAP Benefits by 40%, April 22, 2020

Department of Education

• Secretary DeVos Calls on Wealthy Institutions to Reject Taxpayer Emergency Funds, Congress to Change Eligibility, April 22, 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.]