Evans Votes for Sweeping Covid-19 Relief Bill, the Heroes Act

On Friday, I voted for the Heroes Act, a sweeping Covid-19 relief bill. It passed the House of Representatives on a bipartisan vote.

I believe we need an urgent federal response that is equal to the crisis we face. Unemployment and food-bank lines have reached levels not seen since the Great Depression.

The nonpartisan chairman of the Federal Reserve – appointed by President Trump – recently said, "The scope and speed of this downturn are without modern precedent, significantly worse than any recession since World War II."

The Heroes Act includes several provisions which I believe would address critical needs:

• Nearly $1 trillion to state and local governments to pay vital workers like first responders, health workers and teachers in danger of losing their jobs. This funding would include $3.1 billion to help Pennsylvania prevent education cuts and $38.2 billion for Pennsylvania overall.
• $200 billion in hazard pay for essential workers.
• Another $75 billion – in addition to previous funding - for coronavirus testing, contact tracing and isolation measures, ensuring every American could access free coronavirus treatment, and supporting hospitals and providers. I believe universal access to testing is necessary for a safe reopening of the country.
• A second round of more substantial economic impact payments of $1,200 per family member, up to $6,000 per household.
• $175 billion in new supports to help renters and homeowners make monthly rent, mortgage and utility payments and other housing-related costs.
• $11.5 billion for Emergency Solutions Grants to address the impact of coronavirus among individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and to support additional homeless assistance, prevention, and diversion activities to mitigate the pandemic's impacts.
• Ensuring weekly $600 federal unemployment payments through next January.
• Addressing rising hunger with a 15 percent increase to the maximum SNAP benefit and additional funding for nutrition programs such as WIC that help families put food on the table.
• Protecting Americans who lose employer-provided health insurance with COBRA subsidies to maintain their coverage, and creating a special enrollment period in the Affordable Care Act exchanges for uninsured Americans.
• Enhancing the new employee retention tax credit that encourages employers to keep employees on payroll, allowing 60 million Americans to remain connected to their paychecks and benefits.
• Strengthening the small-business Paycheck Protection Program to ensure that it reaches underserved communities, nonprofits of all sizes and types.
• Responding flexibly to small businesses by providing $10 billion for Covid-19 emergency grants through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.
• Requiring OSHA to issue a strong, enforceable standard within seven days to require all workplaces to develop and implement infection control plans based on CDC expertise.
• Preventing employers from retaliating against workers who report infection control problems.
• Safeguarding our democracy, with new resources to ensure safe elections, an accurate Census, and preserve the Postal Service. Pennsylvania would receive $128,915,800 in election assistance under the bill.

I have heard from many Philadelphians calling for more relief and I believe the Heroes Act would do a great deal to provide it. You can click here to read a more detailed summary of the bill.

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Sincerely,

Dwight Evans

Member of Congress