Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolution

Floor Speech

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Mr. REED. Mr. President, today, I am introducing the Strengthening UI for Coronavirus Impacted Workers and Students Act. For the 30 million American unemployed workers, the enhanced jobless benefits created in the CARES Act are a lifeline. However, the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, which provides a $600-per-week benefit on top of an individual's regular unemployment insurance (UI) benefits are set to expire on July 31, 2020. Arbitrarily cutting these benefits off in the midst of an ongoing pandemic could make a desperate situation worse for individuals and harm the economy. Moreover, if these workers are prematurely pushed back into unsafe work environments, it will ultimately harm families, businesses, and communities.

That is why my new legislation seeks to expand and enhance the unemployment insurance of the CARES Act. Specifically, this bill would continue to offer out-of-work Americans the $600-per-week additional benefit through the end of the year and make it retroactive to the date of the coronavirus pandemic disaster declaration date. This legislation would also exempt these pandemic-specific benefits from being factored into eligibility for means-tested programs, such as Section 8 housing, SNAP, TANF, and WIC. Furthermore, it would create a $300 Federal benefit for recent college graduates, students, and others who are willing and able to work absent COVID-19. but who do not have recent work history. Finally, this legislation would codify guidance by the Department of Labor requiring employees who are participating in ``work sharing'' programs to be able to receive the $600-per-work boost. I added provisions to the CARES Act to Federally finance these cost- effective and job saving ``work sharing'' programs, which give struggling companies the flexibility to reduce hours instead of laying off their workforce, while allowing the employees to collect unemployment insurance on the days they are not working.

The bill is supported by numerous organizations including the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), National Education Association (NEA), National Employment Law Project (NELP), National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), The Arc, United Auto Workers (UAW), National Alliance on Mental Illness. National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, National Disability Rights Network, and National Women's Law Center.

We have to be smart and this targeted, temporary measure will help ensure Americans who are out of work through no fault of their own can afford food, housing, and medicine until it is safe to go back to work. I am pleased to join my colleague in the other body, Representative Kildee, in sponsoring this legislation, and I look forward to working with my colleagues here and across the Capitol to secure passage of this important legislation. ______

By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. Brown, Mr. Tester, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Jones, Ms. Smith, Ms. Warren, Ms. Sinema, Mr. Warner, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Udall, Mr. Booker, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Merkley, and Mr. Wyden):

S. 3620. A bill to establish a Housing Assistance Fund at the Department of the Treasury; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

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Mr. REED. Mr. President, along with Senators Brown, Tester, Schatz, Jones, Smith, Warren, Sinema, Warner, Menendez, Van Hollen, Cortez Masto, Kaine, Udall, Booker, Feinstein, Durbin, Merkley, and Wyden, I am introducing legislation that would create a $75 billion Housing Assistance Fund that builds on the success of the Hardest Hit Fund at the Treasury Department that I championed in 2010.

The Hardest Hit Fund provided funds to 18 State-level Housing Finance Agencies, directing targeted foreclosure prevention assistance to households and neighborhoods in States like Rhode Island hit hard by the economic and housing market downturn.

The Housing Assistance Fund expands this model to provide a flexible source Federal aid to all State-level Housing Finance Agencies. This Federal funding could then be used to help struggling households remain in their homes while they search for new employment or wait to get back to work. Financial assistance could go towards preventing eviction, mortgage delinquency, default, foreclosures, or loss of utility services, such as water, gas, and electricity. Funds could also be used to keep the Internet connected and remain current with property taxes.

In the midst of responding to the coronavirus, we clearly need to do everything we can to help our constituents. According to CNBC, 8.7 million jobs were lost in the Great Recession, and as of April 23, 2020, more than 26 million Americans filed unemployment insurance claims in just five weeks. Just for comparative purposes, CNBC also reported that 22.4 million jobs were created since the Great Recession.

This means we're facing job losses at an unprecedented scale and pace.

What this also means is that we could be facing a potential wave of evictions and foreclosures, so there is no time to waste. We should respond accordingly so that more families can make it to the other side of this public health emergency while staying safe in their homes. This is precisely the goal of this Housing Assistance Fund legislation we are introducing today.

I thank the National Council of State Housing Agencies; Habitat for Humanity; National Housing Conference; National Community Reinvestment Coalition; National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders; National Leased Housing Association; Americans for Financial Reform; National Consumer Law Center, on behalf of its low-income clients; Center for Responsible Lending; Rhode Island Housing; and the Rhode Island Association of Realtors for their support.

I urge all of my colleagues to join in pressing for inclusion of the Housing Assistance Fund in our continued response to the coronavirus pandemic. ______

By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Jones, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. Hirono, Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms. Smith, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Harris, and Ms. Baldwin):

S. 3634. A bill to address health workforce shortages and disparities highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic through additional funding for the National Health Service Corps and Nurse Corps; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

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