Letter to Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, and Kevin McCarthy, Minority Leader - Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate

Letter

Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leader McCarthy,
While negotiations continue on the HEROES Act to address the ongoing impacts of COVID-19,
there is one immediate step Congress can take that would provide critical relief to all states:
extending the date, now December 30, 2020, by which funds authorized under the CARES Act must
be expended or forfeited, to December 31, 2021.
When the CARES Act became law on March 27, 2020, we had hoped that by the end of this year the
worst of the pandemic would be behind us. It isn't, unfortunately. And the needs we addressed in the
CARES Act continue. By extending the date for use of the authorized funds, all states will have more
flexibility and time to use them to meet the impacts of COVID-19.
It would be extremely helpful to Vermont, where our Republican governor and Democratic
legislature are working together, to use those funds to help Vermonters through this crisis.
Vermont needs an extension of CARES Act funding for important pandemic related projects
including continuing testing for state college students through the spring, bringing broadband to
underserved households, and maintaining important housing and homeless programs as winter
approaches. Without an extension, the Vermont State College System will not be able to use CARES
Act funding to purchase $500,000 of testing supplies they have ordered to test students this spring.
Likewise, Vermont has identified at least four critical projects to bring broadband to more than one
thousand remote homes across the state that will be cancelled if the deadline is not extended.
Unfortunately, one project has already been cancelled because the funding deadline has not been
extended, denying students the opportunity to learn remotely and workers opportunities to work from
home during the pandemic.
Finally, with a cold winter quickly approaching, the funding deadline threatens important projects to
help those who may have lost their home or are struggling to stay housed due to the pandemic. These
critical projects and many more need the flexibility offered by immediately extending the deadline to
expend CARES Act funds.
As we see cases spike nationwide, I know all states would appreciate the flexibility and opportunity
an extension would provide. If this were done, it would not interfere with the ongoing negotiations
about the HEROES Act or an alternative relief package.
Sincerely,

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