Hoyer Recaps Coronavirus Relief Bills

Since the coronavirus pandemic began, House Democrats have worked swiftly to pass five major coronavirus relief bills to address this public health emergency and provide economic help to working families and small businesses, House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) said.

Here are some of the highlights of the legislation:

Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act

• Required that vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics developed using taxpayer funds must be available for purchase by the federal government at a fair and reasonable price.
• Allowed the HHS Secretary to ensure that vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics developed using taxpayer funds be affordable in the commercial market.

Families First Coronavirus Response Act

• Made coronavirus testing free to all Americans.
• Provided state and local governments with $950 million through CDC for surveillance for coronavirus, laboratory testing, contact tracing, and infection control.

CARES Act

• Provided an additional $4.3 billion to the CDC to continue to support federal, state, and local public health efforts, including testing, contact tracing, and infection control.
• Provided $100 billion for HHS to provide grants to hospitals and other health care providers.
• Provided $1.5 billion for the expansion of military hospitals and expeditionary hospital packages to alleviate the strain on existing military and civilian health care systems.
• Provided $1 billion for the Defense Production Act to allow the Department of Defense to invest in manufacturing capabilities that are key to increasing production rate of PPE and medical equipment.
• Provided an additional $27 billion for BARDA, including $16 billion for critical medical supplies, PPE, and medicine.

Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act

• Provided an additional $25 billion for testing.
• Provided another $75 billion for hospitals.

The Heroes Act

• Provides $75 billion for coronavirus testing, contact tracing, and isolation regime to better prepare for re-opening the economy.
  Ensures Americans—regardless of coverage—can access free coronavirus treatment.
• Provided $100 billion in grants for hospital and health care providers to reimburse health care related expenses or lost revenue directly attributable to the public health emergency resulting from coronavirus improving upon the provider fund disbursement currently underway at HHS.
• Establishes a Heroes’ Fund for essential workers, with $200 billion to ensure that essential workers who have risked their lives working during the pandemic receive hazard pay – bonuses of $13/hour up to $10,000.
• Ensures worker safety by 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, and prevents employers from retaliating against workers who report infection control problems.
• Expands use and oversight of Defense Production Act to increase the production and supply of critical medical supplies and equipment.

For a more in-depth look at the relief provided by these bill, click here.

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