Bishop Supports More Coronavirus Funding
Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, released the following statement regarding the passage of the updated Heroes Act by the full U.S. House of Representatives:
"The longer this pandemic goes on, the clearer it is we need a strong national response to support our citizens and to combat this virus directly. This updated version of the Heroes Act reflects these priorities and I am proud to support it. I urge the Senate and President to support this bill to help our nation in this extremely difficult time. The American people need and deserve this long overdue aid!"
The updated Heroes Act:
provides a second round of direct payments of $1200 per taxpayer and $500 per dependent
improves the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses
supports testing, tracing, and treatment with $75 billion and ensures every American has access to free coronavirus testing
provides more assistance for airline industry workers
bolsters funds for education and childcare with $225 billion
provides $436 billion for one year of assistance to state, local, territorial and tribal governments to pay employees in danger of losing their jobs due to lack of funds
strengthens food security with a 15% increase to the maximum SNAP benefit and targeted support for farmers and producers affected by the crisis
boosts housing assistance to help keep renters and homeowners in their homes
restores unemployment benefits with weekly $600 federal unemployment payments
preserves health coverage and provides opportunities for the uninsured to get health coverage
protects workers and their safety with OSHA standards based on CDC expertise
protects payrolls by enhancing the new employee retention tax credit for employers
safeguards our democracy with new resources to ensure safe elections, an accurate Census, and well-functioning Postal Service
A complete section-by-section summary of the Heroes Act can be found here.
Source