Responding to Coronavirus

Coronavirus
House Democrats are working to protect the health and economic security of all Americans.
House Democrats are working to address the public health emergency created by the outbreak of a new coronavirus, named COVID-19.
 
On March 4th, Congress passed $8.3 billion in emergency funds to provide funding for prevention, preparedness, and response efforts; for the development of treatments and a vaccine; and for low-interest SBA loans to support small businesses that have been affected.
 
On March 18th, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act was signed into law. This legislation works to address the economic impacts being felt by Americans; it ensures that testing for coronavirus is free, provides for emergency paid sick leave and paid family and medical leave, ensures the availability of unemployment insurance, and secures access to nutrition for children, seniors, and low-income families.
 
On March 27th, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide further economic assistance to families facing lost income and industry sectors whose employees are bearing the brunt of this public health crisis. Work is continuing on additional legislation to respond to this pandemic. 
 
On May 15th, House Democrats passed the Heroes Act to honor frontline workers by providing critical funding to state, local, and tribal governments; establishing hazard pay for frontline workers; expanding testing, treatment, and tracing; and providing additional financial relief to Americans.
 
Click here to view a report on how these bills are providing relief to the American people. In addition, committees are continuing to work remotely during this crisis by holding virtual hearings, briefings, and forums on the health and economic impacts of the pandemic. Click here to learn more.
Coronavirus Related
While Republicans ignore the coronavirus crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic is raging across the country:
11/20/20
More than a quarter-million Americans have now lost their lives to COVID-19.  More than one American now dies of this disease every minute of the day.
11/18/20
America has now reached a tragic milestone, with 10 million recorded cases of COVID-19. We now have lost more than 230,000 of our fellow Americans to this disease.
11/9/20
The bill brought to the Senate Floor today is yet another example of Republicans’ refusal to take this pandemic seriously. It shows that Senate Republicans have no interest in providing relief to the American people, who so desperately need it, or in defeating this virus.
10/21/20
With two weeks left before Election Day and millions of Americans already casting their ballots, President Donald Trump still has not indicated what his policy agenda would be for a second term.
10/21/20
I talked to the Speaker this morning, Rhonda, and she is optimistic. I won't say hopeful, but she is optimistic that they can get to an agreement. I think [Secretary] Mnuchin and [Speaker] Pelosi are relatively close.
10/20/20
The Republicans are deeply divided. It's awfully tough to negotiate when [Secretary] Mnuchin has to go from Pelosi over to McConnell to find out whether McConnell will get people and [Senator] Thune just pointed out, they don't have the votes over there.”
 
10/20/20
President Trump’s decision to walk away from the ongoing negotiations to give relief to people and businesses is another stark example of him telling the American people: ‘you’re on your own.’
10/6/20
Today's jobs report shows that the recovery we had begun to experience from the COVID-19 pandemic’s job losses has slowed. More than 10 million Americans are unemployed now compared to February. At September’s pace, it would take three years to recover just the jobs lost in the month of April alone. 
10/2/20
I hope that the President and First Lady remain asymptomatic and recover quickly. COVID-19 is a dangerous and deadly disease, one that has already taken the lives of more than 200,000 of our fellow Americans. This remains a highly contagious disease that can affect any person, and we all share a responsibility to slow its spread by wearing masks, washing hands, and practicing social distancing.
10/2/20
Madam Speaker, the House passed the Heroes Act more than four and a half months ago. At the time, around 85,000 Americans had lost their lives to Covid-19. Today, that sad figure is at more than 205,000. The House did its job in May for the American people, yet the Republican Senate and President Trump have still not done theirs.
10/1/20
WASHINGTON, DC – House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) released the following statement after House Democrats unveiled an updated version of the Heroes Act earlier this evening:
 
9/28/20
Madam Speaker, this week, Democrats are coming to the Floor to highlight the work we have been doing over the past two years governing for the people – in sharp contrast with the way President Trump and Republicans have failed the people.
 
9/24/20
More than 200,000 Americans have now died from COVID-19, nearly thirty times as many Americans who were killed in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 79% of U.S. COVID-19 deaths have been seniors over the age of sixty-five. 
9/19/20
Nobody ever saw Steny H. Hoyer as a technological visionary, least of all the 81-year-old Democrat.
“Let me tell you what — Steny Hoyer looks in the mirror and doesn’t see that guy either,” the House majority leader said in an interview Friday.
9/12/20
It has been more than three months since the Democratic-led House took action on the next phase of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, passing the Heroes Act to provide state and local governments with much-needed resources, extend emergency unemployment benefits for those waiting to get back to work, and provide a new round of direct payments to American families to help them get through this crisis. 
9/10/20
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy claims that Republicans will “Renew, Restore, Rebuild” America, just as they’ve “done before” under the Trump Administration. But the facts show that they haven’t renewed, restored, or rebuilt anything under Trump. After four years of the Trump Administration, our country is experiencing:  
8/24/20
…84,631 deaths since [the] Heroes [Act] passed…. No action in the Republican-controlled and led United States Senate. So, don't whine to me about what you want on the Floor. Don't whine to me about ‘we could have done this,’ ‘we could have done that,’ ‘we could have done the other.’ ….
8/22/20
It has now been three months since the Democratic-led House passed the Heroes Act, the next major piece of legislation to address the COVID-19 crisis and its economic impacts.
8/15/20
Totally stalled would imply that neither side wants to get together and make a deal. Both sides in my opinion I believe that we need to act, I know that we do, I know that we want to get too complacent we cannot reach agreement I'm so many of these items States, testing, direct payments to families and people, medical elections money - we have an election coming up, education…
8/11/20
WASHINGTON, DC – House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (MD) joined MSNBC’s Chris Jansing this afternoon to discuss the insufficient Republican response to the coronavirus pandemic and the urgent need for relief for American families.  Below are excerpts from his interview and a link to the video:
 

8/11/20
Our country has hit another horrific milestone, with five million coronavirus cases diagnosed - far higher than any other country - while President Trump stays at his private golf club and issues an executive order and three memoranda that do not address the crisis at hand. 
8/9/20
oday, a federal court affirmed what was already clear from our Constitution: the House has the right to determine its own rules, including the allowance of proxy voting as an emergency measure during this pandemic.
8/6/20
We have people who are desperate... They are desperate for themselves, their families and their children. We passed a bill, unfortunately, the Senate sat on its hands for two and a half plus months. 
8/6/20