Dear Friend:
JIM MC GOVERN
The House of Representatives and the Senate passed a COVID-19 relief bill that contains long-overdue assistance for families, first responders, frontline workers, small businesses, and health care workers in need.
I’ll be honest with you. It’s not the bill I would have written. I think $600 checks are woefully inadequate for the millions of families in our country that are in dire need right now. I would have liked to see much greater support for local restaurants, more rental assistance, and an extension of the unemployment benefits offered under the CARES Act.
But there were many parts of the bill I supported. I’m proud that I was able to secure a 15% increase in monthly benefits and an additional $13 billion to support the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), our nation’s premier anti-hunger program, as well as more funding for food banks and child nutrition programs. I was also glad to see additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program, vaccine distribution, and incentives for employers to provide paid sick leave.
As a Member of Congress, you don’t get to vote “maybe” — you vote yes or no, knowing that you can’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. That’s why I voted yes on this package. You can watch my floor speech about the bill below.
The reality is that even though I’ve voted twice since May for relief packages that meet the scale and scope of the crisis we’re in, we simply don’t have partners in the Senate who share our values and who are willing to get a more robust package across the finish line.
Here are some of the key provisions contained in our relief legislation:
Direct Payments: Despite our best efforts, Senate Republicans refused to agree to another round of $1,200 payments. We secured $600 payments per person plus an additional $600 per child.
Unemployment: Senate Republicans refused to accept a simple extension of unemployment benefits from the CARES Act. The package we passed averts the sudden expiration of unemployment insurance benefits for millions and adds a $300/week enhancement.
Food Assistance: I successfully fought for $13 billion in increased SNAP and child nutrition benefits to help relieve the historic hunger crisis that has left up to 17 million children food insecure.
Rental Assistance: We fought to keep $25 billion in funding in the package to get rental assistance to families struggling to keep a roof over their heads.
Eviction Moratorium: Our bill also extends the federal eviction moratorium into the next administration, when it can be extended.
Paid Sick Leave: To ensure that workers aren’t punished for getting sick or having to take time off to care for a sick relative, the package incentivizes employers to offer paid sick leave.
Small Business Relief: The package reinvests in the Paycheck Protection Program to make sure businesses in need of a first or second round of relief have access to the funds they need. It also sets aside funding to specifically assist minority owned small businesses and businesses in lower-income communities that may have been left behind earlier in the pandemic.
Vaccine Distribution: The bill contains $20 billion to support the purchasing of COVID-19 vaccines and $9 billion to ensure that they are distributed as quickly and as equitably as possible.
Education: Democrats fought to invest $54 billion in public K-12 schools, including support specifically for HVAC repair and replacement to mitigate virus transmission and reopen classrooms safely.
Child Care: To help get parents back to work once it’s safe, we fought for $10 billion for child care assistance and to keep child care facilities open.
Ending Harmful Surprise Billing: This package also puts an end to the harmful practice of surprise billing that can cause families to unknowingly go tens of thousands of dollars into debt simply for seeking medical care, even if they have health insurance.
This bill provides desperately-needed assistance to everyday people confronting homelessness, hunger, and unemployment. But it’s merely a down payment on what needs to happen next. It leaves critical needs unmet, and there will be much more work to do in the weeks and months ahead.
I am committed to fighting for our district as we face this challenge together.
And everyone in my office is ready to help in any way we can. Please do not hesitate to call us to share your thoughts or get help—that is what we are here for.
Sincerely,
Jim Mc Govern
MASSACHUSETTS MEMBER OF CONGRESS