Below, please find a summary of today’s federal government activities in response to COVID-19. Please note we will not be publishing updates for the remainder of the week due to the July 4th holiday. Our next update will be published Monday, July 6.
Congress
Congress has approved legislation to extend the deadline to apply for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans until August 8, 2020 (the application window closed at 11:49pm ET last night). The Senate cleared the measure by unanimous consent yesterday evening and the House followed suit late today. The bill now goes to President Trump for his signature.
With Congress set to adjourn for the July 4th holiday tomorrow, leaders are expecting negotiations on the next round of COVID relief legislation to pick up when lawmakers return to Washington on July 20.
Driving July action: The vast majority of state and local governments had to finalize their budgets by July 1 and many are facing steep budget cuts without additional federal support; the $600 per week enhanced unemployment insurance benefits expire July 31; and the moratorium on evictions included in the CARES Act expires July 24. Other factors include the desire to establish liability protections (a priority for Senate Republicans), as well as the potential need for funding / support for educational institutions working to safely re-open this fall. There is also interest – including from the White House – in another round of direct payments to families and individuals.
Today, Senate Democratic Leader Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Wyden (D-OR) introduced the American Workforce Rescue Act. The bill would extend the $600 increase in weekly UI benefits until a state’s three-month average total unemployment rate falls below 11%; the benefit amount then reduces by $100 for every percentage point decrease in the state’s unemployment rate, until the rate falls below 6%.
Note that COVID-related hearings in the House will continue during the upcoming two week recess. We’ll have a full rundown in Monday’s update.
Recent Congressional Statements / Letters
- Senators Wicker, Stabenow, Colleagues Introduce LOCAL Infrastructure Act, July 1, 2020
- Senator Bill Cassidy: United States Mayors Endorse Cassidy’s State and Local Funding Bill, July 1, 2020
- Senate Finance Committee Chairman Grassley on Responses to Economic Effects of COVID-19, Including Relief to States and Localities, July 1, 2020
- Senator Cornyn Calls for More Comprehensive Testing Strategy from White House, July 1, 2020
- Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Murray, Democrats Urge CDC to Combat Antimicrobial Resistant Infections Associated With COVID-19, July 1, 2020
- Senator Murray Urges Republicans to Finally Provide Relief for Students and Families, Calls For Vote on the Coronavirus Child Care and Education Relief Act, July 1, 2020
- Senator Durbin, Colleagues Introduce Legislation To Support Global Financial Institutions Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, July 1, 2020
- Gardner Pushes for Additional COVID-19 Relief and Flexibility for Small Businesses, July 1, 2020
- In Response to Ways & Means’ Request, New CBO Analysis Shows that Eliminating Emergency Unemployment Compensation Will Harm Vast Majority of Unemployed Workers, Disproportionately Hit Women, Young Workers, and Communities of Color, July 1, 2020
- Amid Growing Concerns from Constituents, Ways and Means Committee Leaders Neal, Lewis Urge IRS to Resolve Issues with Economic Impact Payments and Caution Against Delaying Payments Any Further, July 1, 2020
- House Ways and Means Committee Chair Neal, Representative Murphy Raise Concerns to DOL Regarding the Florida Unemployment System’s COVID-19 Failures, July 1, 2020
- House Energy and Commerce Committee Announces Hearing on COVID-19 Threats to Consumer Protection, July 1, 2020
- House Energy and Commerce Chairman Pallone Requests Information from Companies on Potential COVID-19 Test Price Gouging, July 1, 2020
- Committee Leaders on EPA’s Relaxed Enforcement Policy Coming to an End Soon, June 30, 2020
- House Energy and Commerce GOP: U.S. Continues to Build COVID-19 Testing Capacity, July 1, 2020
- Representatives Walden, Guthrie Release Second Pillar of E&C Republicans’ Second Wave Project (Vaccines and Therapeutics), July 1, 2020
- House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Velázquez Conducts Oversight of SBA Office Overseeing COVID-19 Relief EIDL Program, July 1, 2020
- House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Waters Announces July Hearing Schedule, July 1, 2020
- Congressional Progressive Caucus Condemns Gilead's Price-Gouging of Remdesivir, July 1, 2020
- House Problem Solvers Caucus Endorses the JOBS Credit Act, to Expand the Employee Retention Tax Credit, July 1, 2020
- Representative Rush Introduces Legislation to Protect Nation’s Transportation Workers, Travelers from Further Spread of COVID-19, July 1, 2020
- Representative Ted Budd Leads Letter Urging TSA Temperature Checks During COVID-19, July 1, 2020
Other Stakeholder Statements / Letters
White House / Agency Activity
White House
Treasury Department
Internal Revenue Service
Department of Labor
Department of Health and Human Services
Food and Drug Administration
Customs and Border Protection
Department of Transportation
Federal Communications Commission
Federal Trade Commission
Federal Reserve
FDIC/Federal Reserve Joint Release: Agencies Provide Largest Firms with Information for Next Resolution Plans, July 1, 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
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