Here's the scoop on what's happening this week in Congress
Author
NCSD Policy Staff
Release Date
July 31, 2020
COVID Stimulus IV
On Tuesday, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell released the Senate Republicans’ next COVID-19 stimulus package. The Health Economic Assistance Liability Protection & Schools (HEALS) Act includes $1 trillion in: aid to schools, hospitals, and health services; a second round of stimulus checks; unemployment assistance; loan forgiveness for small businesses; liability protections for businesses open during the pandemic; and miscellaneous funding for defense, a new FBI headquarters, and White House improvements. The HEALS Act also provides $16 billion new funding for COVID testing and contact tracing.
House Democrats, who passed their $3.5 trillion stimulus package in May, called the Senate proposal insufficient for pandemic relief. The House’s Heroes Act included $75 billion for testing and contact tracing efforts. Negotiations between the Senate and the House currently appear to be at a stalemate.
With this expected to be the last stimulus package before the November elections, NCSD issued a press release asking Congress to fund local and state health departments and support the $75 billion for contact tracing and testing efforts.