“How can I help?” was one of the first questions I received from Jennifer, a constituent from York County, during a telephone town hall for residents of Pennsylvania’s 11th Congressional District to discuss the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.
Known as the CARES Act, President Donald Trump signed this legislation into law March 27.
COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus, poses a significant threat to the lives and livelihoods of all Americans. Like you, I’m worried about keeping my family and our community healthy, and we are all uneasy about the uncertainty that lies ahead. As a small business owner, I know the stress of managing through this crisis while doing all you can to ensure the safety and well-being of your family and team.
This invisible foe has unquestionably caused heartbreak for the families of lost loved ones and upended our lives and daily routines. Congress, Trump and his administration have taken deliberate action in the face of this threat and are working around the clock, mobilizing the federal government to fight the war against COVID-19, minimize its spread and protect our health.
Over the past month, Congress has addressed COVID-19 in three phases, putting aside partisan differences to provide tools to the American people to combat the effects of this disease.
In early March, Congress passed the first phase, a nearly $8 billion appropriations bill to increase the availability of testing, provide additional funding to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and provide additional dollars to support local and state government responses. We are seeing those effects in our community today, as testing availability is increasing, and the time it takes to receive results will continue to decrease.
More than two weeks ago, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which temporarily provided flexible paid sick leave and expanded medical leave. This package also included funding to ensure anyone that needs a test for COVID-19 can receive one for free. It also increased access to telehealth medicine for Medicare beneficiaries and provided significant increases to support emergency nutrition programs, like Meals on Wheels for the elderly and flexible school lunch distribution programs for children.
The CARES Act represents the third phase of response. It is unprecedented in its scope because the challenges of COVID-19 are unprecedented. This bipartisan compromise is not perfect but was necessary. The costs of doing nothing would have been far too great, resulting in countless lives lost and small businesses shuttered forever.
The new law provides financial assistance to working-class and middle-class families in the form of direct payments. The relief payments are phased out gradually for individual filers making more than $75,000 per year, and double that for married couples. Additionally, for 2020, seniors aren’t required to take mandatory minimum distributions from their retirement accounts.
The CARES Act helps small businesses stay in business by creating the Paycheck Protection Program, which provides cash-flow assistance through federally guaranteed loans administered by banks and credit unions. If the employer maintains payroll, the portion of the loan used to cover employee salaries and limited other expenses will be forgiven.
We must make every effort to help businesses survive so we can reopen this economy when the time comes, and those who are out of work as a result of this virus have a job to which to return.
The new law also temporarily expands and enhances unemployment compensation benefits. Workers who otherwise would be ineligible for unemployment compensation, like self-employed individuals and independent contractors, are now temporarily eligible.
In addition to supporting families and small businesses, the CARES Act also provides a significant investment in supporting our heroic doctors, nurses and health care professionals who are working on the front lines to save lives. The CARES Act is directing substantial funds for the procurement of personal protective equipment and for research into treatments and a vaccine.
The federal government cannot solve this problem by itself. All the resources and policy changes included in the CARES Act are simply tools to be used by the American people, because it’s the people who must rise to meet this challenge. Our ingenuity in the face of adversity will see us through to a stronger and more prosperous nation.
While we still face uncertainty, we know that we will get through this together. As we continue to hear tales of heartbreak and loss, we also will hear stories of heroism and selflessness. Jennifer’s question exemplifies the best of the American spirit — compassion for our community in a time of great need.
We are all in this together. And together we will win this war. I would encourage you to contact my Lancaster office at 717-393-0667 or visit my website at Smucker.House.Gov with questions or to seek assistance, as we want to ensure this aid is properly and swiftly provided to our community.
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker is a Republican from West Lampeter Township who represents the 11th Congressional District. Online contact form: smucker.house.gov; Twitter: @RepSmucker.
