Poligon joined National Council of Jewish Women, Alpha Epsilon Phi, and other advocates for a digital lobby day to #ProtectTheVote. The digital lobby day included speaker Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), NCJW staff, and more.  Speakers discussed the importance of vote by mail to ensure safety of everyone amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.  Click here to watch.

 The House of Representatives passed the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act, or the HEROES Act, by a vote of 208-199. 

The bill includes:

• Frontline workers hazard pay:  The "Heroes’ Fund” of $200 billion would be established for hazard pay to essential workers
• Funding for COVID-19 testing: $75 billion in funding to ensure Americans have access to free coronavirus testing
• State and local government assistance:  $500 billion in direct assistance to state governments to in response to the fiscal impacts of the pandemic, $375 billion for local government assistance, $20 billion to tribal governments and $20 billion to U.S. territories
• Unemployment benefits extension: Extension of Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation - would extend the $600 per week FPUC supplement to state and federal unemployment benefits through January 31, 2021. 
  
• Stimulus checks for Americans:  It would include another one-time $1,200 payment for individuals who earn up to $75,000.
  
• Election  Security:  $3.6 billion for grants to States for contingency planning, preparation, and resilience of elections for Federal office

Click here to view more details on what is included in the bill.

The next step is the Senate will vote on the bill. 

The House of Representatives introduced H.R. 6800, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act, or the "HEROES Act". This $3 trillion proposal far exceeds the cost of the $2.2 trillion CARES Act, which is the largest stimulus bill in U.S. history. 

A few highlights of the bill:

• Food Security: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – Provides $10 billion to support anticipated increases in participation and to cover program cost increases related to flexibility provided to SNAP by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
• Housing Assistance:
  • Homeless Assistance Grants – $11.5 billion for Emergency Solutions Grants to address the impact of coronavirus among individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and to support additional homeless assistance.
  • Emergency Rental Assistance – $100 billion to provide emergency assistance to help low income renters at risk of homelessness avoid eviction.
• Stimulus Checks: It would include another one-time $1,200 payment for individuals who earn up to $75,000. Families could also receive $1,200 for up to three qualified dependents (unlike the $500 payment under the CARES Act).
• Health Care Provisions:
  • ​Increases Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) payments to state Medicaid programs by a total of 14 percentage points starting July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021. 
  • Covering the uninsured for COVID-19 treatment - Ensures that uninsured individuals whom states opt to cover through the new Medicaid eligibility pathway will be able to receive treatment for COVID-19 without cost-sharing during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
• State, Local, and Tribal Fiscal Relief :
  • $500 billion in funding to assist state governments, $375 billion in funding to assist local governments ,$20 billion in funding to assist Tribal governments.
• Unemployment Benefits: Extension of Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation - would extend the $600 per week FPUC supplement to state and federal unemployment benefits through January 31, 2021. 
• Elections: $3.6 billion for grants to States for contingency planning, preparation, and
  resilience of elections for Federal office. 
• Census Bureaus: $400 million for expenses due to delays in the 2020 Decennial Census.​

The House is expected to meet on Friday to vote on this bill.

Poligon and 105 advocacy organizations, we urge you to support robust funding for the United States Postal Service (USPS) in the next coronavirus response package.