From U.S. Congressman Dr. Roger Marshall's Office...
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Friday, Congressman Roger Marshall, M.D., returned to Capitol Hill to vote YES on the Senate Amendment to H.R. 748 – Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which will put emergency cash into the hands of American families and workers, while also delivering desperate relief to agriculture producers, ranchers, small businesses, and provide needed funding for health care workers and hospitals. During the debate, Dr. Marshall made remarks from the floor, and after the vote he released the following statement:
"Last Sunday, the U.S. Senate announced a bipartisan framework to help individuals and small businesses through the Chinese coronavirus crisis. Then, Speaker Pelosi entered the fray. In the five days that have followed, coronavirus has cost hundreds of Americans their lives, over 40,000 have been infected, and millions of jobs have been lost.
Thank goodness, cooler heads have now prevailed. This is not a perfect bill by any means, and there’s a lot I wish I could take out myself, but the reality is this compromise has a lot that the American people and their small businesses need right now. I want to thank our President for his leadership, for halting travel from China, which saved hundreds of lives, and for reaching out early to private enterprise to work toward solving the testing challenges. Unlike the political garbage we’ve seen this week, these decisions actually saved lives.
As a physician, I remind Americans to follow the President's 15-day guidelines. Let’s flatten the curve. Let’s not let up. Let’s ignore the petty political games from the Speaker. And as one nation under God, this exceptional nation will get through this."
The bill includes funding for the following:
· Resources for Health Care Providers: Provides $100 billion in direct assistance to health care providers on the front lines of the crisis.
· Funding for a Cure: Provides $11 billion for producing a vaccine and other therapies that will prevent the virus from spreading and help treat it.
· Resources for Critical Medical Supplies: Provides $16 billion to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE, ventilators, and other critical medical supplies.
· Funding for Centers for Disease Control: Provides $4.3 billion to the CDC for public health preparedness and response.
· Supports Americans with direct payments: Up to $1,200 per individual, $2,400 per married couple, and $500 per dependent, based on 2018 tax filing, if 2019 tax filing is not available.
· Flexibility for Small Business Loans: Increases the number of eligible businesses, nonprofits, and lenders that can participate in the SBA’s 7(a) loan program, providing temporary flexibility in the use of the loan, and allows for loan forgiveness measures to keep employees on the payroll during this uncertain time.
· Support for Farmers and Ranchers: Provides $9.5 billion for Secretary Perdue to provide support to farmers and ranchers impacted by COVID-19 including livestock producers; and includes an additional $14 billion to replenish the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to address low commodity prices and trade disruptions.
· Treatment for Veterans: Provides for the VA $19 billion to treat COVID-19, acquire test kits and Personal Protective Equipment and support veterans during this pandemic.
· Support for Manufacturers: Provides $50 million of increased funding to NIST’s Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program, which provides direct support to small and mid-sized manufacturers, with none of the funding subject to the cost share requirement that is a normal requirement for this program.
· Increased Food Access: Provides $450 million for the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) to help food banks stay stocked and ready to serve those in need.
· Support for Small Airports: Provides $100 million for general aviation airports and $56 million for Essential Air Service (EAS, keeping small and regional airports operational during the crisis.
· Support for Schools: Provides $31 billion to support K-12 schools, colleges, and universities to help our students continue to learn.
· Support for Cities and Towns: Provides $5 billion for Community Development Block Grants that help our cities and towns across Kansas remain strong.
· Relief for Community Banks: Will help banks quickly provide loans to those who need them by lowering the Community Bank Leverage Ratio, enabling banks to dip further into their capital reserves for increased lending during these times of stress.
· Support for Rural Development: Provides additional resources for USDA’s Business & Industry Loan Program, USDA’s Distance, Learning, Telemedicine and Broadband Program and the USDA’s ReConnect Program to expand broadband connectivity to unserved and underserved areas.