U.S. House Passes Families First Coronavirus Response Act

Congressman Neguse Helps Pass Legislation to Equip Families and Health Care Workers in the Wake of COVID-19

Washington, D.C.—Congressman Joe Neguse, who represents Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District in Congress and serves as a member of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s leadership team, has helped pass the Families First Coronavirus Response Act out of the U.S. House of Representatives, legislation to address the severe impacts of the Coronavirus on Americans’ personal safety and financial security. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act would establish emergency paid leave, provide free Coronavirus testing, support strong unemployment benefits, expand food assistance programs for the vulnerable, protect frontline health workers, and distribute additional funding to states for the ongoing economic consequences of the pandemic.

“The recently enacted emergency coronavirus supplemental of $8.3 billion in new funds for our nation’s health infrastructure was critical to our nation’s public health response. However, more support is clearly needed, as the coronavirus spreads and deepens impacts on workers and families,” said Congressman Joe Neguse. “For Americans who are uninsured, unemployed, lack paid sick leave or the means to pay for testing and treatment, the continued spread of coronavirus will hit hard financially. Governor Jared Polis has already enacted innovative measures in Colorado to increase testing capacity and offer paid leave to workers in certain circumstances. This package will provide additional support for all Coloradans to protect their health and economic security through the Coronavirus outbreak. As we respond to the Coronavirus, it is absolutely vital that the health and safety of American families is our first priority.”

As of Friday evening, 77 cases of Coronavirus have been detected in Colorado. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment opened the nation’s first drive-by testing center Wednesday morning in Lowry where Coloradans who have a doctor’s note confirming they meet testing criteria can be tested without getting out of their car.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act includes the following:

• Paid leave:The Families First Coronavirus Response Act provision establishes an Emergency Paid Leave Program that replaces a significant share of lost wages so that those who take leave to avoid spreading the virus or due to illness or caregiving responsibilities can pay their bills.
• Free testing for coronavirus: The Families First Coronavirus Response Act ensures that all individuals, including those with private insurance, Medicare Advantage or Original Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, VA, FEHBP, and TRICARE, as well as the uninsured, will have access to tests at no cost.
• Enhanced, emergency unemployment measures: The Families First Coronavirus Response Act gives states the resources and flexibility to provide unemployment benefits to laid off and furloughed workers, as well as to those workers who exhaust their allotted paid leave. This measure also provides additional funding to help the hardest-hit states immediately and in the future if conditions worsen.
• Expanding food assistance programs:The Families First Coronavirus Response Act includes more than $1 billion to provide nutritious foods to low-income pregnant women and mothers with young children, help local food banks meet increased demand for low-income Americans during the emergency, and provide home-delivered and congregate meals to low-income seniors. It also ensures that children who depend on schools’ free and reduce-priced meals continue to have access to nutritious foods in the event of school closures.
• Protects front-line health care workers:The Families First Coronavirus Response Act directs the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue an Emergency Temporary Standard within one month that requires health care facilities to implement comprehensive plans to keep front-line health care workers safe during the coronavirus pandemic.
• Safeguards Medicaid benefits: In order to prepare for the potential for new Medicaid enrollees if people lose their jobs, and to assist states as they take on additional costs that have resulted from the virus, Families First Coronavirus Response Act also increases the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) that the federal government provides to state and territorial Medicaid programs. This will prevent states from cutting benefits, reducing their Medicaid rolls or imposing greater premium and cost-sharing for enrollees.