Coronavirus Relief Package - Motion to Concur

Lowey, D-N.Y., motion to concur in the Senate amendment to the bill with a with a further House amendment that would provide roughly $2.2 trillion in funding to further address the health and economic effects of COVID-19, including approximately $436 billion for direct aid to state and local governments; $120 billion for assistance to restaurants; $75 billion for a national testing program; $28.3 billion for an extended airline industry payroll support program; and funding for state and federal response related to health care, education, housing, and food supply. It would reinstate federal funding of expanded unemployment compensation benefits through January 2021, provide an additional round of tax rebates of $1,200 for individuals with incomes of $75,000 or less, and extend the Paycheck Protection Program. The bill would provide $257 billion for states, territories, and tribal governments and $179 billion for local governments to address costs and economic impacts associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. It would also provide $225 billion for the Education Department; over $60 billion for federal programs and $21 billion to states to provide housing and homeownership assistance; and over $12 billion for nutrition programs. It would provide funding for a number of programs to assist farmers and ranchers, including $1.25 billion for direct payments to contract poultry and livestock producers facing revenue losses related to COVID-19. It would provide $75 billion to the Health and Human Services Department for a national testing and contact tracing initiative and $50 billion for HHS to reimburse health care providers for expenses and lost revenue related to COVID-19. It would increase federal contributions to state Medicaid programs, eliminate cost sharing for coronavirus treatments under Medicare and Medicaid, and create a special enrollment period during the public health emergency for Affordable Care Act marketplace health plans and Medicare Parts A and B. It would provide an additional tax rebate of $1200 to individuals or $2400 to joint filers, increased by $500 for each dependent. It would reinstate and extend through January 2021 federal unemployment compensation benefits of up to $600 per week under previous coronavirus response legislation. It would extend through February 2021 requirements for employers to provide additional sick and family leave, and expand the requirements to apply to all private employers. It would extend the Paycheck Protection Program through 2020, modify certain requirements to increase funding flexibility and eligibility, and establish set-asides for businesses with 10 or fewer employees, nonprofits, and community financial institutions. It would extend and provide $28.3 billion for an airline industry payroll support program and prohibit fund recipients from conducting furloughs or reducing pay and benefits through March 2020. It would also provide $13.5 billion for aid to airports, $32 billion for transit, and $2.4 billion for Amtrak. It would require airlines and certain other transit systems to mandate face coverings and meet certain sanitation requirements and require the Transportation Department to develop a national aviation preparedness plan for disease outbreaks. It would require the Education Department to suspend payments due for federal student loans through September 2021 with no accrual of interest, and it would authorize Treasury Department payment of private student loans for economically distressed borrowers up to $10,000. It would expand a March 2020 provision to prohibit all evictions and foreclosures for one year and establish a temporary moratorium on consumer debt collection and debt collection from small businesses and nonprofits. It would prohibit price gouging on consumer goods and services, including personal protective equipment, food, delivery services, and health care services.