Below, please find a summary of the federal government’s activities in response to COVID-19 since Wednesday’s update. Our next update will be published Monday, July 27th.
Congress
Following a week of intraparty negotiations, the release of Senate Republicans’ next COVID relief package has been postponed until Monday – further delaying bipartisan negotiations and increasing the likelihood that a final agreement won’t be reached until early August.
In remarks on the Senate floor Thursday evening, Republican Leader McConnell (R-KY) announced that Senate Republicans and the administration had reached an agreement in principle on “CARES 2.0,” but said the White House requested more time to review the details. Leader McConnell said the package would focus on “kids, jobs, and healthcare” and that key committees would release their various legislative components on Monday.
Highlights of the expected $1 trillion proposal include:
- Kids: More than $100 billion in funding as well as policy provisions to help schools and universities reopen; assistance for childcare providers
- Jobs: A second round of direct payments; a “sequel” to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for the hardest hit small businesses; an extension – with modifications – of the temporary enhanced unemployment insurance program; and business incentives for employee retention and rehiring, as well as assistance for PPE
- Healthcare: More resources for hospitals and healthcare workers; additional funding for diagnostics, treatment, vaccines; and policies to prevent spikes in Medicare premiums
- Liability reform
Earlier today, Senate Democratic Leader Schumer (D-NY) and House Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) issued a joint statement criticizing the delay and urging bipartisan negotiations as quickly as possible. Adding to the urgency is the expiration of some key CARES Act provisions, including the $600 per week enhanced unemployment benefit set to expire July 31 and a temporary moratorium on evictions that expires today.
And in comments on the House floor today, Majority Leader Hoyer (D-MD) said the House would be prepared to vote on a bipartisan relief bill as soon as it is ready – and that he would provide Members with 24 hours’ notice to return to Washington should the House not be in session.
Finally, next week, the House will take up two standalone bills to provide additional emergency funding to support childcare providers during the pandemic: H.R. 7027, the Child Care Is Essential Act and H.R. 7327, the Child Care for Economic Recovery Act.
Below is a listing of COVID-related Congressional hearings scheduled for next week:
Senate
- A July 28 Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing entitled, “Oversight of COVID-19 Financial Relief Packages”
- A July 28 Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management Subcommittee) hearing entitled, “Modernizing Telework: Review of Private Sector Telework Policies during the COVID-19 Pandemic”
- A July 28 Senate Finance Committee hearing entitled, “Part 1: Protecting the Reliability of the U.S. Medical Supply Chain During the COVID-19 Pandemic”
- A July 29 Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing entitled, “Lessons Learned from Remote Working during COVID-19: Can the Government Save Money Through Maximizing Efficient Use of Leased Space?”
- A July 29 Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing entitled, “VA Telehealth During and Beyond COVID-19: Challenges and Opportunities in Rural America”
- A July 30 Senate Finance Committee hearing entitled, “Part 2: Protecting the Reliability of the U.S. Medical Supply Chain During the COVID-19 Pandemic”
House
- A July 29 House Small Business Committee (Rural Development, Agriculture, Trade, and Entrepreneurship Subcommittee) hearing entitled, “Kick Starting Entrepreneurship and Main Street Economic Recovery”
- A July 30 House Financial Services Committee hearing entitled, “Protecting Consumers During the Pandemic? An Examination of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau”
Recent Congressional Statements / Letters
- Senator Casey Leads Group of 37 Senators Urging Significant New, Flexible Funding for State and Local Governments, July 22, 2020
- Senators Bennet, Young Announce Growing Support for RESTART Act in Next Coronavirus Relief Package, July 23, 2020
- Senator Brown, Colleagues Introduce Medical Bankruptcy Bill After Millions Lose Health Insurance during Pandemic, July 24, 2020
- Senator Brown Statement on the Passage of His Bipartisan Bill to Prevent Garnishment of Relief Payments, July 23, 2020
- Senators Warner & Daines Introduce Legislation to Establish an Emergency Portable Benefits Fund, July 23, 2020
- Senator Udall, Colleagues Urge Administration to Continue Housing Eviction Bans Due to Ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic, July 24, 2020
- Senators Warren, Murray, Lawmakers Urge HHS to Address the Needs of Pregnant People during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Combat Maternal Mortality Crisis, July 23, 2020
- Senator Peters Announces Proposal To Support Students, Families, Teachers In Michigan & Across Country For Coming School Year, July 22, 2020
- Senate EPW Ranking Member Carper Releases Updated Staff Analysis of State Efforts to Ensure Continued Utility Services for Americans Facing Economic Hardship, July 23, 2020
- Senator Tillis, Colleagues Urge Senate Leaders to Consider Clean Energy Jobs Impacted by Pandemic in Next COVID-19, July 23, 2020
- Senator Tillis, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support U.S. Research Community During the COVID-19, July 24, 2020
- Senator Merkley Introduces Legislation to Ban Airlines’ Sale of Middle Seats As Coronavirus Infections Soar, July 23, 2020
- House Financial Services Committee Chair Waters at Hearing on Need for Senate to Pass Heroes Act: Families Are Again Suffering Through No Fault of Their Own; We Must Not Leave Them Behind, July 23, 2020
- Representatives Torres Small, Horsford Introduce Back on Your Feet Act, July 23, 2020
- Congressman Panetta Leads 73 Members in Pushing for Increased Funding for Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) in Next COVID-19 Relief Package, July 23, 2020
- House Ways and Means Republicans Unveil Pro-Growth Agenda For a Healthy American Economy, July 23, 2020
- Representative McKinley Introduces Legislation Providing Critical Relief to Rural Hospitals, July 24, 2020
- Representatives Raskin, Spanberger, Johnson Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Fund FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program, July 23, 2020
- Representative Steil Introduces the Coronavirus EGC Extension Act, July 24, 2020
- Representatives Loebsack, Luján, Fellow House Democrats Introduce Bill to Stop COVID-19 Scams, July 23, 2020
- Representatives Swalwell & Joyce Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Student Loan Forgiveness for Public Servants Affected by COVID-19, July 23, 2020
- Representative Gomez, Senators Whitehouse and Reed Introduce Legislation to Support State Paid Leave Programs During COVID-19 Crisis, July 23, 2020
- Representative Rick Crawford Introduces Legislation to Increase Financing for Rural American Communities, July 23, 2020
Other Stakeholder Statements / Letters
White House / Agency Activity
White House
Health and Human Services
Food and Drug Administration
National Institutes of Health
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Department of Labor
Department of Homeland Security
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal Trade Commission
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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