Thursday, March 26, 2020

Roy Blunt offers lowdown on $2 trillion Senate relief package

(From Sen. Roy Blunt, R-MO)

The Senate unanimously passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, & Economic Security (CARES) Act. This bipartisan legislation is now heading to the House of Representatives for a vote before going to President Trump’s desk to become law.

In the last few weeks, the Senate delivered bipartisan legislation that provided free coronavirus testing, paid sick leave, family leave for caregivers, food assistance for the needy, and enhanced unemployment insurance.

Today’s legislation goes further by providing more much-needed relief to American families, workers, and small business owners and their employees whose lives and livelihoods have been impacted by this pandemic.








Relief for Families & Individuals:

• Provides direct assistance to individuals and families that need it most. Under the bill, a typical middle-class family of four would get $3,400 to help them meet their daily expenses;

• Includes emergency funds for food and nutrition programs so families can continue to get that help if they need it;

• Provides immediate assistance to child care providers to prevent them from going out of business and supports child care for families, including for healthcare workers, first responders, and others playing critical roles during this crisis;

• Allows the Secretary of Education to defer student loan payments, enables students who were forced to drop out of school due to coronavirus to keep their Pell Grants, and gives colleges and universities the flexibility to continue work-study payments to students who cannot work due to coronavirus closures; and

• Provides funding for elementary and secondary schools that can be released quickly to states to help schools respond to coronavirus and related school closures, including immediate needs of students and teachers, improving use of education technology, supporting distance education, and making up for lost learning time.








Relief for Small Businesses & Workers:
• Provides cash-flow assistance to small businesses through federally-guaranteed loans—with certain expenses eligible for forgiveness if employers maintain their payrolls through this emergency;

• Creates a temporary pandemic unemployment assistance program to give assistance to workers who aren’t normally eligible for unemployment benefits, such as the self-employed or independent contractors; and

• Stabilizes major sectors of the economy without putting taxpayers on the hook for giant bailouts.

Relief for Patients and Healthcare Providers:

• Ensures that testing and the eventual vaccine for coronavirus patients will be covered by private insurance;

• Includes $100 billion in support for hospitals and health care providers, and provides flexibility for them to receive both prospective payments and reimbursement for costs associated with COVID-19, including lost revenues;

• Gives health care providers more capabilities to offer telehealth services; and

• Provides an additional $16 billion to procure personal protective equipment, ventilators, and other medical supplies for federal and state response efforts.

As difficult and troubling as these times may seem, it’s more important than ever to stay calm and follow official guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to slow the spread of COVID-19. Wash your hands thoroughly, practice social distancing, and stay at home if you are feeling unwell.

The 24/7 Missouri hotline for people and providers seeking guidance on COVID-19 is 877-435-8411. Do not hesitate to call.

Please save the link here for additional important coronavirus resources.

And please continue doing your part to keep yourself, your loved ones, and your community safe and healthy. We’re all in this fight together.

No comments: