Dear Friend,

Like many of you, I am inspired but not surprised by the resolve of the American people in responding to this virus. We don't have to look beyond our own communities to see brave healthcare workers providing dutiful care, business owners converting their operations to support public health, and neighbors each doing their part to contain the spread of coronavirus. 

This week, Congress passed and President Trump signed into law the third coronavirus relief package. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a comprehensive response to various challenges that have arisen in recent weeks. Below, I have outlined the key provisions in the CARES Act, including: 

• Critical support for our healthcare system and healthcare workers,
• Recovery checks for individuals and families,
• Expanded unemployment insurance,
• Relief for small businesses, and
• Key provisions to ensure accountability and fiscal responsibility. 

The House of Representatives took several precautionary measures to ensure the health of Members and staff when we voted on this critical legislation. As your Representative, I wanted to be present to do my job and voice my support for this critical relief. Watch my floor speech below: 

I will provide additional updates on implementing provisions of this legislation as they become available. You can access the most up-to-date information on my website: Meuser.House.Gov/coronavirus and subscribe below to receive future updates.

Please continue to follow the direction of your local health officials to stay safe, and contact my office if we can be of assistance to you at (570) 871-6370. 

Sincerely,

Dan Meuser
Member of Congress 

Support for Healthcare Providers 

Most importantly,  this bill provides $100 billion for hospitals and providers to ensure they have the supplies and resources they need to continue their brave work on the front lines of this epidemic. The CARES Act provides $16 billion for the Strategic National Stockpile to procure personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators, and other medical supplies for federal and state response efforts. This funding, paired with investments in research and development of a vaccine and treatments, is essential to slowing the spread and ultimately defeating coronavirus.

Income for Americans 

The CARES Act also provides one-time, means-tested recovery checks to individuals and families. Checks will be paid to individuals who earned less than $99,000 or couples who earned less than $198,000, including people with no income or whose income is from a non-taxable source such as Social Security. To avoid fraud and scams, you should know that for most Americans, no action will be required on their part to receive a check. The bill outlines recovery checks at the following rates: 

Expanded Unemployment Compensation 

Alongside an additional $250 billion for state-administered unemployment insurance programs, the CARES Act also expands unemployment compensation eligibility beyond those who are traditionally eligible. Under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, self-employed workers, gig workers, and independent contractors can access unemployment insurance. This package also provides funding to government entities and non-profit organizations outside the state unemployment system to partially reimburse them for unemployment compensation for their employees. For anyone receiving unemployment compensation through July 31, an additional $600/week will be provided as well. 

Relief for Seniors 

To mitigate the risk of infection for seniors, this relief package includes new flexibilities to allow seniors to stay at home. The CARES Act expands telehealth services to allow seniors to receive medical care and advice without risking infection. Additionally, the relief package provides new flexibilities to senior nutrition programs to continue their food service for home bound older Americans. 

For seniors living of a defined contribution plan such as their Individual Retirement Account (IRA), withdrawal requirements for calendar year 2020 are waived under this law. 

Relief for Small Business 

The CARES Act establishes a new Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses. Businesses and certain non-profits are eligible to apply for a loan of up to 250% of monthly payroll, capped at $10 million, through the existing SBA 7(a) loan program. Funds used for payroll costs, utilities, and rent and mortgage obligations will be forgiven if the business retains its staff through June 30. This provision is retroactive to February 15 to incentivize business to rehire workers who have been laid-off.

This relief package also expedites the SBA's Emergency Disaster Loan program by streamlining the application process and permitting an advance of up to $10,000 on the loan to provide leave, maintain payroll, and meet debt obligations. 

To access these loans, please contact your lender for more information. For a list of SBA 7(a) lenders in Pennsylvania, click here. Formal SBA guidance on these loans is expected in the next few days. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has also provided information on emergency relief for small businesses. 

Please contact my office or visit Meuser.House.gov/coronavirus for the most up-to-date information and guidance on these and other relief programs for small businesses. 

Accountability & Responsibility 

This sweeping relief package provides immediate aid to hospitals, businesses, and families and includes key provisions to ensure accountability and limits on spending. This package includes no so-called bailout for any business. Loans to corporations will be for no longer than 5 years and the Treasury Department will set interest rates based on its risk. These loans cannot be forgiven. 

Loans for small business encourage employee retention while providing flexibility for businesses to pay essential expenses incurred during this crisis. Like the unemployment and paid leave provisions of this and the previous relief package, sunset dates are in place to ensure temporary relief programs do not become a new normal for entitlements.