In the most sweeping attempt yet to address the coronavirus outbreak, the U.S. House of Representatives has reworked a multibillion-dollar relief package originally passed over the weekend that would ensure that all Americans can get free diagnostic testing for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The measure, which also guarantees paid sick or family leave for some workers and gives unemployment insurance a booster shot, now goes to the U.S. Senate where there is enormous pressure to act due to the substantial economic pain expected from canceled events, school closings, shuttered business activity, and other steps taken to stop the spread of COVID-19.
House lawmakers approved a revamped bill after technical corrections were made by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and members of the Trump administration.
More specifically, it includes paid emergency leave with two weeks of paid sick leave and up to three months of paid family and medical leave.
It was passed after Republicans raised objections about its potential impact on small businesses, but even opponents relented after the technical corrections were made.
Among the criticisms of the bill passed over the weekend was that it didn’t go far enough or fast enough to deal with the likely economic impact of COVID-19, and a related critique was leveled at a provision that pertains to sick leave. One senator worried that a sick leave provision could actually result in layoffs.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, told Politico the House’s original treatment of sick leave could have created a cash flow problem for businesses. “Most of the measures in this bill are something that the senators will support, I believe,” Cotton stated. “But we worry that the bill setting up a new and complicated system relying on businesses giving paid sick leave and then getting a refundable tax credit that won’t move quickly enough and could put pressure on those businesses to lay workers off.”
Meanwhile, President Trump has called for a payroll tax holiday as a means of preventing job losses, but that was not included in the House bill. However, a payroll tax holiday could be part of yet another legislative package, according to the Washington Post. The total estimated cost of the new measure is $850 billion.
Hours before the first version of the bill passed, Trump declared a national emergency over the pandemic and announced partnerships with several companies to expand coronavirus testing.
Congress has already passed and President Trump has signed a bill providing $8 billion in supplemental funding to fight the outbreak, and the president’s March 13 national emergency declaration will free up another $50 billion in federal resources to address the crisis.
