Senate Leadership Must Join us to Deliver the Rescue America Needs

Dear Friends,

We have now lost more than 270,000 Americans to COVID-19. Tens of millions of Americans remain unemployed. Millions have fallen into poverty and millions more are facing housing and food insecurity for the first time.

As this crisis rages on, with daily new cases over 180,000 and climbing, our focus must be on delivering an immediate and urgent rescue to stop this virus and put us on a path to reversing its devastating economic impacts.

Twice now, my colleagues and I in the House have passed legislation to get the job done and provide needed relief for people. We passed our Heroes Act in May, more than six months ago. In October we agreed to meet Senate Republicans halfway with a compromise bill. Rather than coming to the negotiating table, the Senate moved backwards, pushing an even smaller ‘skinny bill’ that would have left millions of Americans hungry, homeless or otherwise without a lifeline in the face of historic hardship. Now more than ever, providing that lifeline for Americans is vital.

Without a rescue package advanced by the end of December: 

• An estimated 12 million Americans will lose their unemployment benefits.
• Student loan relief that allows borrowers to defer payments during the crisis will end.
• National eviction moratoriums will run out, allowing millions of families to be forced from their homes.

Even with the current level of federal support, millions more Americans, many of them children, are experiencing hunger and food insecurity for the first time. Food banks have been working day in and day out to meet this growing need, but as demand continues to rise with no federal relief in sight, more and more of our friends and neighbors will go hungry.

Without a federal rescue, state and local governments that have already cut themselves to the bone to support their communities will be forced to lay off firefighters, police officers, emergency responders, health care workers, teachers and other essential workers that have been keeping our nation going through this crisis. Congress needs to back these folks, or we risk losing the most essential public services we have at the worst possible time.

President-elect Joe Biden called for an immediate federal response this week while also accepting that more work will need to be done. He said, in part, “Right now, the full Congress should come together and pass a robust package for relief to address these urgent needs. But any package passed in a lame-duck session is likely to be, at best, just a start.”

The stakes for our nation and our people could not be higher, and the need for action could not be more urgent.

I was encouraged by signs this week that Members on both sides of the aisle are coming forth with alternative COVID-19 proposals. I am reviewing these proposals as they come out, and I remain hopeful that my Republican colleagues in both chambers will see reason before the year is out and agree to a meaningful and sensible rescue.

As we look to the end of this crisis with the emergence of the first approved vaccines, we must also prepare ourselves for a hard winter. We must commit ourselves to doing the real work of protecting ourselves, our families and our communities. Wear a mask for others and show your strength and love of those around you. Together, I know we can make it through.

DID YOU KNOW?

Throughout this pandemic, my office and I have worked to make sure you remain informed with the latest federal updates and recommendations. With that in mind here is some information that may be of interest to you:

• The holiday shopping season combined with the impending tax season and an increased trend toward working remotely make online security an absolute necessity.
• The IRS, state tax agencies and the nation's tax industry – working together as the Security Summit – mark the start of the 5^th annual National Tax Security Awareness Week with tips on basic safeguards everyone should take, including;
  
  • Use security software for computers and mobile phones – and keep it updated.
  • Avoid phishing scams, especially related to COVID-19 or Economic Impact Payments.
  • Use strong and unique passwords for all accounts.
  • Use multi-factor authentication whenever possible.
  • Shop only secure websites.
  • Avoid shopping on unsecured and public Wi-Fi.
• See IRS.gov/securitysummit for more details