Beatty Bashes Incredibly Inadequate Senate Republican COVID-19 Response

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, 118 days after the U.S. House of Representatives passed The Heroes Act, H.R. 6800, a bold and comprehensive piece of legislation to address the ongoing public health crisis posed by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic, Senate Republicans are set to vote on an incredibly inadequate COVID-19 response bill. In advance of the anticipated vote, U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) issued the following statement:

"For the last four months, President Trump and Senate Republicans have been more focused on delaying, distracting, and denying. Now, realizing they are responsible for the growing public health and economic crisis facing our nation, Republican leadership has unveiled their ‘grand plan' that represents little more than the same. That's because their deceptively-titled bill fails to provide direct economic impact payments to individuals and families; cuts emergency unemployment benefits by 50 percent; conditions desperately needed aid for schools at the expense of student, teacher, and faculty safety; and fails to provide any assistance to the tens of millions of Americans struggling to buy groceries and keep a roof over their heads. I urge Republicans and the White House to work in good faith with Democrats to pass a piece of legislation that makes critical investments like those in The Heroes Act. The time is now to enact a stimulus plan that helps all Americans who are suffering, no more gamesmanship."

On May 15, 2020, House Democrats passed The Heroes Act. If enacted, the bill would provide direct economic impact payments to workers and families, extend unemployment benefits, guarantee hazard pay to those on the frontlines that they need and deserve, and make critical investments in state and local governments, schools, affordable housing, COVID-19 testing and contact tracing, fair elections, and much more. Unfortunately, since that time, The Heroes Act has languished in Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's self-described ‘legislative graveyard.'

More information on The Heroes Act and its numerous ‘For the People' provisions can be found here.