The Latest A number of House and Senate committees are continuing to hold hearings examining various issues related to COVID-19, including its impact on certain sectors and communities and the federal government response. This week, committees looked at issues ranging from how the pandemic has exposed and widened inequities in education, health, and the workforce and wealth inequity to the child care crisis, healthy air travel, VA telehealth, preparing for the next …

The Latest White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said this week that President Trump “is very interested in something on the order of at least $2 trillion” for the next coronavirus response package. The statement is at odds with Senate Majority Leader McConnell’s (R-KY) previous assertions that a Phase 4 package should come in at no more than $1 trillion. In contrast, the House Democrats’ HEROES Act is approximately $3 trillion. Congressional Republicans have generally…

Hearings House Energy and Commerce Committee: “Pollution and Pandemics: COVID-19’s Disproportionate Impact on Environmental Justice Communities” Tuesday, June 9: The Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change of the Committee on Energy and Commerce held a remote hearing on the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the environmental justice communities. Find more details on the hearing here. Why this is important: House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone’s (D-NJ) open remarks note the high…

The Latest Last Friday, the President signed into law the bipartisan Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (the Act), extending the covered period of expenses for which Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans will be forgiven from eight weeks to 24 weeks or December 31, whichever comes first. In a statement, the President said he signed the Act without delay to protect jobs, but urged Congress to pass the bill again “through traditional in-person voting,” questioning…

The Latest Last night, the Senate passed the bipartisan Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act by unanimous consent, sending it to the President for his signature. The bill extends the covered period for which Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) expenses will be forgiven beyond the current eight weeks to 24 weeks or December 31, whichever comes first. While lawmakers were able to agree on this tailored fix to a coronavirus relief program, Democrats and Republicans remain at…

Hearings House Ways and Means Committee: “The Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19 on Communities of Color” Wednesday, May 27, 2020: The House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting American communities of color. Find more details on the hearing here. Why this is important: Specific data on coronavirus infection rates remains incomplete, yet data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last month showed that African Americans…