Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the coronavirus economic recovery package being considered today.

Never in our lifetimes have we experienced a public health crisis such as the one we are experiencing right now.

From the employees who are losing their jobs, to the small business owners who are being forced to shut down, every facet of our society has been impacted by this pandemic.

With millions of American families struggling to make ends meet, Congress must take immediate action to bring them relief. The legislation before us today puts us on the path to do just that.

Most importantly, this package puts workers and their families first.

The bill would provide direct payments to most American workers to help them get by while much of our economy is shut down. This extra money is critical to many of my constituents that have had hours slashed or income lost as result of this crisis.

The bill also dramatically expands unemployment insurance, including for workers with non-traditional employment. This is vitally important for many of my constituents who work in the gig-economy or are self- employed.

Under this package, these workers, along with those that work for traditional businesses, would be eligible for unemployment insurance that would, on average, ensure they receive their full pay for four months.

And for those that were already on the edge of housing insecurity, this bill would provide billions of dollars in support for affordable housing and homelessness assistance programs.

The bill also provides essential support to the small businesses that fuel our local economies and contribute to our communities.

If we don't take bold action right now, many of these businesses may not survive. We cannot let that happen.

This package includes billions of dollars in much-needed assistance for small businesses, that will incentivize them to maintain payroll and avoid laying off workers. And it will help these small businesses afford rent or mortgages as they work tirelessly to navigate this crisis.

Our students are also hurting from this crisis. This bill would provide billions in emergency education funding and eliminate income tax on a large chunk of student loan repayment assistance paid for by an employer.

Finally, this package would direct billions of dollars toward hospitals and other health care providers on the frontlines of this pandemic. It will continue our efforts to provide our health care workers with the life-saving protective equipment they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.

It is no question that this relief package would provide critical assistance to American workers and their families. But it's also no question that there's more work to be done.

We still must do more to protect our immigrant communities, incarcerated individuals, undocumented people, and many more.

We also must do more to protect reproductive rights. The inclusion of Hyde restrictions on yet another federal funding stream is absolutely unacceptable and should never have been allowed.

Exploiting the urgent need to pass this emergency funding bill by adding unnecessary abortion coverage restrictions only further harms the health of our communities and shows just how far the Administration and anti-abortion politicians will go to push their agenda.

Furthermore, I am strongly disappointed that the Small Business Administration has been given broad discretion to exclude critical businesses, such as Planned Parenthood and YMCA, from participating in the new small business loan program.

This move will only take away imperative resources, particularly essential health services, that our communities need to respond to this public health crisis.

Despite these concerns, I urge my colleagues to come together and pass this critical package to bring immediate relief to our families, workers, and small businesses.

But tomorrow, we must continue our work on the next major piece of legislation to protect the health and well-being of all.

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