WASHINGTON (WHTC-AM/FM-Reuters) – The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a coronavirus aid package early on Saturday that would provide free testing and paid sick leave, in a bid to limit the economic damage from a pandemic that has shuttered schools, sports arenas and offices.
By a bipartisan vote of 363 to 40, the Democratic-controlled House passed a multi-billion dollar effort that would expand safety-net programs to help those who could be thrown out of work in the weeks to come.
Republicans such as Fred Upton were in support of the measure. “This crisis is growing more serious by the day, and the American people are frustrated and concerned. Today, we took important action passing bipartisan legislation that will allow for families and communities to better protect themselves and their overall well-being,” the St. Joseph Republican said in a statement afterward. “It’s all hands on deck. We need to break this cycle, and the ‘Families First Coronavirus Response Act’ is a step to helping us do just that.
“The legislation provides funding for food and other necessities to help children who are away from school but depend on school meals. It also provides funding for paid leave for workers because if you are sick, you need to stay home. The deal also includes widespread testing at no cost to patients.
“We need to remember we’re all in this together, and if we continue to focus on solutions – not politics or blame – we will overcome this crisis, just as we have always done.”
Fellow GOP lawmaker Bill Huizenga concurred. “It is critical that Congress works in a bipartisan manner to combat COVID-19 as well as the health and economic effects stemming from the virus,” the Zeeland Congressman said in a statement. “This legislation supports the expansion of testing capacity while ensuring tests are provided at no cost.
“The Families First Coronavirus Response Act takes the important step of creating 14 days of paid-leave for employees who are sick, quarantined, or caring for loved ones impacted by the coronavirus. This bipartisan compromise also provides small businesses with the flexibility to serve customers while meeting the needs of their employees by utilizing refundable tax credits. This bipartisan bill demonstrates that legislation can be crafted that is pro-employee, pro-small business, and pro-family.
“As we confront the coronavirus here in West Michigan, it is vitally important that residents utilize proper hygiene techniques and consider using social distancing to slow and potentially prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
President Donald Trump said he supported the package, raising the likelihood that it will pass the Republican-controlled Senate next week. The 110-page bill is the product of extensive negotiations between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, President Donald Trump’s point person on the issue. Mnuchin has pressed for tax cuts, while Pelosi had pushed to expand safety-net spending. It does not include the $1 trillion payroll tax cut that Mr. Trump had called for.
The bill would provide two weeks of paid sick and family leave for those affected by the virus. Businesses would get a tax credit to help cover the expense. Workers would also be able to take up to three months of unpaid leave if they are quarantined or need to take care of sick family members.
It would expand safety-net programs that help people weather economic downturns, including home-bound seniors and low-income schoolchildren who risk losing access to free breakfast and lunch if their schools are shuttered. It would bolster unemployment aid, and the “food stamps” program that helps 34 million low-income people buy groceries.
The two sides struggled to find common ground after quickly passing an $8.3 billion bill last week to pay for vaccine research and other disease-fighting measures. Mr. Trump declared a national emergency on Friday, freeing up $50 billion in federal aid.
-Additional REUTERS reporting by David Morgan, Andy Sullivan, Makini Brice and Richard Cowan; Editing by Cynthia Osterman, Michael Perry and Richard Pullin
