WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger today urged congressional leadership in both parties to move forward on passing a bipartisan, bicameral COVID-19 relief proposal that would provide immediate assistance to Central Virginia families, students, healthcare providers, and small businesses amid the ongoing crisis.

At a press conference this afternoon, Spanberger and her fellow Members of the Problem Solvers Caucus —which helped craft the relief package — outlined the urgent need for emergency aid as communities across the country face rising COVID-19 cases, expiring unemployment benefits, and strained healthcare systems.

Click here to watch Spanberger’s remarks.

“In Central Virginia, there are hungry families, parents without a job, and thousands of small businesses on the verge of closing or laying off more employees who never imagined they would be in this situation. They’re staring down a holiday season marked by tremendous uncertainty — and they’re also staring down the expiration of critical assistance programs. Congress cannot leave them behind,” said Spanberger. “While there will be additional, necessary steps we must take in the future, this package presents an opportunity to recognize and mitigate the threat posed by the winter surge we now face. In Virginia, we’re seeing record rates of hospitalizations, and our COVID-19 positivity continues to rise. We’re also witnessing another round of devastating outbreaks at our long-term care facilities. We are in an emergency, and this proposal is a critical step in coming to the aid of the American people in a moment of need. Republicans and Democrats — Members of the House and Members of the Senate — have now voiced their support for our framework, and we have a clear opportunity for Congress to finally act on additional COVID-19 relief.”

A breakdown of the bipartisan COVID-19 emergency relief framework can be found here.

On Tuesday, Spanberger introduced the package alongside U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mark Warner (D-VA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Angus King (I-ME), Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA), as well as fellow Problem Solvers Caucus Members Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05), Tom Reed (R-NY-29), Dusty Johnson (R-SD-AL), Dean Phillips (D-MN-03), Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH-16), and Fred Upton (R-MI-04). Click here to watch a recording of Tuesday’s press conference.

The bicameral framework allocates $908 billion in total aid — including both new funding and the reallocation of previously appropriated Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding. The framework targets resources to the following key categories:

• State, Local, and Tribal Governments – $160 billion 

• Additional Unemployment Insurance (UI) – $180 billion 

• Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) including restaurants, stages, and deductibility – $288 billion

• CDFI/MDI Community Lender Support – $12 billion

• Transportation (Airlines, Airports, Buses, Transit and Amtrak) – $45 billion

• Vaccine Development and Distribution and Testing and Tracing – $16 billion

• Healthcare Provider Relief Fund – $35 billion 

• Education Funding – $82 billion

• Student Loans – $4 billion

• Housing Assistance (Rental) – $25 billion

• Nutrition/Agriculture – $26 billion

• U.S. Postal Service – $10 billion

• Child Care – $10 billion

• Dedicated Broadband Funding – $10 billion

• Substance Abuse Treatment Funding – $5 billion

BACKGROUND

Spanberger has consistently pushed for a negotiated COVID-19 relief package that can make it to the President’s desk. Earlier this month, she called on the Trump Administration and congressional leadership in both parties to recommit to the passage of a negotiated COVID-19 relief package before the end of the year.

In October 2020, Spanberger voted against the partisan Heroes Act 2.0 and called for leadership in both parties to come to an agreement on COVID-19 relief that can be approved by the U.S. Senate and be signed into law by President Trump. Additionally, she pushed House Democratic leadership to accept a relief offer from U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin that would provide much-needed assistance to working families, coordinated testing efforts, state and local governments, and small businesses.

And in September 2020, Spanberger joined her fellow Members of the Problem Solvers Caucus to unveil the caucus’ bipartisan “March to Common Ground” framework to help break the gridlock on the latest COVID-19 relief package. 

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