Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2019

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the CARES Act.

Over 2,500 Illinoisans have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, 26 of whom have died. Countless more are in need of testing, and thousands of our frontline healthcare workers are desperate for PPEs.

Just this month, over 130,000 Illinoisans have lost their jobs. This is unprecedented.

The CARES Act provides immediate economic relief to individuals, billions in small business loans and grants, and improved unemployment protections. It will help States, local governments, and healthcare systems meet the enormous challenges that they are facing.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act puts the health and well-being of families and workers first in order to provide support and relief to Americans suffering from the health and economic impacts of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout my time in Congress and especially now, I have consistently prioritized policies that save lives and support northern Illinois families. The best way we can do this is to take immediate action to help our economy and support the everyday people who make it work.

This has been a terribly hard time for our community. According to the Johns Hopkins University & Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center, today, there are 549,604 cases globally, and 85,996 cases in the United States. The Illinois Department of Public Health reports 2,538 positive cases and 26 deaths in Illinois as of March 26, 2020. We have lost beloved community members across Illinois's 14th Congressional District. Countless others are in need of testing, and thousands of our frontline health care providers need personal protective equipment (PPE). And, all across our community, families are being thrown into economic distress--over 114,000 Illinoisans applied for unemployment last week alone.

Many of us are coming together during these times. That extension of kindness and grace must extend to our neighbors of Asian descent who are facing an increased amount of discrimination and hate-filled acts. This type of division, along with the dissemination of false information about COVID-19, is dangerous for public health and safety and cannot be tolerated.

I have spent the last weeks talking with hundreds of people all across our community. During some conversations I heard from parents trying to balance working from home, educating their children, and caring for elderly loved ones. For some, it meant talking to small business owners trying to figure out how to make sure their family businesses and their employees come back from this. For other calls, it meant listening to folks who are scared that they will run out of money before they can work again and that they don't know how to keep their family afloat. And I heard from the husband of a nurse who is terrified his wife is at risk because she is bravely going into work every day without sufficient protective equipment.

Our community is struggling in all kinds of different ways. But we know that we will get through this unsettling and extremely challenging time together. One of the best tools we have to help right now is the CARES Act: a robust legislative package developed with bipartisan, bicameral cooperation at record speed over the last week in order to protect our community's health--including health care providers on the front lines of this crisis--and our economy.

Notably, this legislation contains updates to ensure that Americans will not have to pay out of pocket for COVID-19 testing, and it ensures Medicare will cover a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as our brilliant scientists get one to market. In the face of a pandemic, all Americans should have access to a reliable COVID-19 diagnostic test if they need one. Tests are not yet widely available in our northern Illinois community, and our three public health labs in Illinois are working around the clock to deliver results for patients. We will keep working to expand testing capacity in our communities, a critical step towards disease surveillance.

The incredible contribution of our most trusted health providers, nurses, has been on full display throughout the coronavirus response. From student nurses surging to help care for sick patients in New York City to recently retired nurses stepping up to serve our community at home in Illinois, nurses continue to lead on the front lines of clinical research and practice. Importantly, the CARES Act invests in the heroic Americans who are giving everything right now to save lives: health care providers.

The CARES Act secures $100 billion to help hospitals, health systems, and community providers cover costs related to COVID-19. This will help Northwestern Medicine, the largest employer in my district, as well as community health centers like the Center for Family Health in Sycamore, which will see their funding boosted and extended. These clinics are lifelines in our community and I am proud to support their work.

There is not a health care facility in Illinois right now that is not in need of additional personal protective equipment for the brave Americans serving our ill neighbors. All health providers, caregivers, essential personnel, and first responders should have complete sets of PPE that is required to do their jobs safely--they are mission critical and key to our recovery from COVID-19. There have been widespread shortages of PPE, certainly in our community, but also in many others across the country. This is unacceptable, and I hope the Administration's new Supply Chain Stabilization Task Force will quickly increase the availability of needed PPE, including by utilizing the full force of the Defense Production Act, which could make desperately needed testing supplies and PPE available in the communities that need them most.

In the meantime, heroic members of my community, like Anna Haley Fielder of Antioch, are stepping up to fill the unmet need by organizing neighbors to sew face masks to help protect health providers and other essential workers. This should never have had to happen in the first place. That is why I support the CARES Act's provision of $16 billion to replenish COVID-19 supplies in the Strategic National Stockpile. This builds on the $3.1 billion allocated for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, which supports the Strategic National Stockpile, in H.R. 6074, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2020.

First responders have a critical need for PPE as well. Over the past week, many mayors have expressed their concern to me that firefighters and law enforcement officers without the PPE needed to safely protect our community during this pandemic may fall victim to COVID-19, impairing their public safety mission. The CARES Act includes $100 million for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, which can pay for PPE and other supplies our first responders need.

Our health care workforce is being tested at greater levels than we have seen in recent decades, which is why the inclusion of the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2019 (H.R. 728) in the CARES Act is so critically important. I championed this bipartisan legislation early in my congressional tenure because I know that an investment in nursing education yields exponential return in our communities.

One of the principles of effective preparedness is ensuring a supply chain that can provide needed supplies during times of emergencies and public health crises like a global pandemic. The CARES Act includes bipartisan legislation, the Commission on U.S. Medical Security Act (H.R. 6282), which I helped introduce with Dr. Raul Ruiz, Dr. Phil Roe, and my Illinois colleague Senator Dick Durbin. Our legislation will strengthen the security of the U.S. medical supply chain.

Supporting seniors who are at high risk for infection is a priority in the CARES Act, which includes $200 million to help mitigate COVID-19 spread in nursing homes. I am pleased that many improvements to Medicare, funding to support our health system and family caregivers, and critical support services like Meals on Wheels were also included in the legislation. These resources will be critical to prevent outbreaks and save lives.

This month, Wall Street's response to this crisis led to trading suspensions and record shifts in the stock market. Swift intervention to stabilize our economy, and embracing policies to support workers, families, and small businesses first allows us to invest in the critical economic engines that fuel northern Illinois.

My legislative agenda has long centered on economic security and opportunity for the working families of the 14th district. This commitment has been demonstrated through supporting a broad approach to job creation and championing legislation that provides flexibility to entrepreneurs seeking to start a small business. Small businesses are the foundation of our economy throughout the 14th Congressional District, and the CARES Act recognizes their unique challenges. A new $350 billion Paycheck Protection Program will make zero-fee loans available to small businesses, with the ability to have up to eight weeks of payroll and other costs forgiven from the loan if a business retains employees and their salary levels--an important incentive to support workers. Another $10 billion in grants will support small businesses and nonprofits that have suffered economic injury in response to COVID-19, a provision that will make a difference for Illinois families. This is on top of the first wave of billions of dollars for small business disaster loans that are already being processed.

Many families will receive direct financial assistance from the U.S. Treasury, to stimulate consumer confidence and provide a needed boost to many families experiencing difficult and unanticipated related economic circumstances related to COVID-19. Individuals can receive a recovery rebate of up to $1,200 each (up to $2,400 for a married couple) with an additional $500 per child.

With an unexpected layoff or sharp decrease in earning potential, many families find themselves with limited income and difficulty affording rent, mortgage payments, and other housing-related obligations. As part of our efforts to offer relief to workers and families, the CARES Act allows forbearance on federally-backed mortgages for family homes for up to 12 months and sets a moratorium on foreclosures and evictions in many properties receiving federal subsidies or assistance.

Employers are also receiving needed financial support and flexibility for their workforces, including loans from the Small Business Administration. I hope many employers take advantage of these new programs quickly in order to retain their skilled and loyal workers and facilitate a quicker economic recovery. The CARES Act also supports self-employed and gig economy workers through a temporary Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program. This legislation also expands the unemployment insurance available to those who have lost work through this crisis by $600 per week, and immediately extends the period for which coverage is available by 13 weeks.

On March 26, 2020, we learned that 3.28 million Americans filed for unemployment during the previous week, more than four times higher than ever recorded. The Department of Labor reports that in reporting these numbers, ``states continued to cite services industries broadly, particularly accommodation and food services.'' This is no surprise to Illinois workers who have seen in-restaurant dining closed since March 16.

The United States Postal Service has been a steady presence in our communities, offering essential mail and supply delivery services to even the most remote homes in our country with their six-day delivery schedule. The CARES Act includes some assistance for the Postal Service, and I will work to further support our postal system in future legislation.

So many families across my community are experiencing hardship due to COVID-19. Whether helping families through sickness or loss of income, our local charities and nonprofits have quickly stepped up to serve our seven counties and I am pleased the CARES Act creates a $300 above-the- line deduction for charitable contributions from taypayers who take the standard deduction.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is also responding to the COVID-19 crisis. The CARES Act offers $14.4 billion for testing kits, personal protective equipment, and medical supplies to support growing demand for health care services at the VA. The bill also allows for new agreements to temporarily expand telemental health for veterans in rural areas who may lack local providers who could offer those needed services.

Governor Pritzker of Illinois ordered all schools closed by March 17, 2020, to slow the spread of COVID-19. In response to my conversations with superintendents, I prioritized securing resources to facilitate e- learning for our K-12 students. Many school districts in the 14th Congressional District also need funding flexibility due to disruption in the academic year from COVID-19, and I am pleased that the CARES Act begins to deliver. The bill includes $13.5 billion in grants to states for K-12 education, which can be used for the costs of responding to COVID-19, including for hardware to support e-learning.

The legislation also supports college students whose semesters were disrupted due to COVID-19. While the CARES Act falls short of offering the comprehensive relief from student loans that is necessary in this grave economic period, the bill offers much-needed temporary relief. I will continue to work for more in future relief packages.

On March 17, 2020, Illinois held primary elections, allowing residents to safely participate in our democracy. We must already start making plans to ensure the remaining states can complete their primary elections with the same emphasis on health and safety for the American people. The CARES Act makes a $400 million down payment towards protecting our democracy during this crisis through election security grants to states, but more must be done. The Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act provided $4 billion to secure our elections during this crisis, and would implement needed reforms, like easier voter registration, 15-day early voting periods, and vote by mail expansions. These reforms have been implemented in Illinois, are popular and effective, and should be implemented in any upcoming federal legislation responding to COVID-19.

Keeping America safe from terrorism and other national security threats must remain a priority in times of pandemics. We cannot let our preparedness posture suffer under the weight of a whole-of-government pandemic response or distracted attention from ongoing Homeland Security initiatives. As a result, I am pleased the CARES Act reauthorizes the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards program through July 2020 and provides $9 million for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to help secure our supply chains and critical infrastructure during this crisis.

This important legislation is not the end, our families will need more. We need to improve health care affordability, expand access to care, and offer protections from the surprise medical bills that could arise as a result of COVID-19 testing or treatment. We need a special open enrollment period to allow uninsured individuals to sign up for affordable health care. We will need to expand paid family and medical leave and we will need increased health care worker and pension protections. Our state and local governments will need more resources to support their leadership on the ground. And we will likely need more in payments directly into the hands of Americans so they can continue to support their families and their local economies. I will fight for our community's needs and work with my colleagues to get these priorities included in the next congressional relief package.

The CARES Act puts the health and well-being of families and workers first, to allow us to recover from COVID-19 and rebuild the U.S. economy. I am so deeply grateful to the health care providers, first responders, grocery store clerks, and all the people on the front lines of this crisis. I am grateful to serve our country at this time of immense need to care for individuals, families and these United States of America. Together we will rise. Let's take care of our neighbors. Wash our hands. And be well. I will see you again soon.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source