This is not the first step Congress has taken to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, nor will it be the last. This bill provides significant financial relief to our families and businesses struggling with the effects of widespread closures and other public health measures.
The CARES Act greatly expands access to unemployment benefits – including, for the first time, gig workers, contractors and the self-employed.
And it includes tax credits and other incentives I negotiated with the Trump Administration to help small businesses keep workers on payroll and keep them from going out of business during this crisis.
This bipartisan bill also includes a massive infusion of resources for hospitals, frontline caregivers, and states and localities dealing with the brunt of COVID-19.
I strongly urge the House of Representatives to pass the CARES Act without delay, so that we can get this urgently-required relief to those who so badly need it.
This is a challenge unlike any we have faced in recent memory, but I believe that we as a country can and will get through this together.
I will remain in close touch with state, local and health officials to ensure that we are doing everything possible to provide the resources needed to fight the coronavirus.
