WASHINGTON, D.C. —U.S. Representative David B. McKinley P.E. (R-W.Va.) issued the following statement after the House passed the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act:
“Rather than working in a bipartisan fashion to address our economic and public health crisis as we did on previous COVID-19 relief legislation, Speaker Pelosi instead brought the House back to vote on an 1,800-page, $3 trillion liberal wish list. This bill won’t pass the Senate and President Trump won’t sign into law. It is pure political posturing, which wastes valuable time and delays relief for people who desperately need it.
Even though their so-called relief bill includes provisions we may agree with, it also contains some way outside the mainstream, including allowing illegal immigrants to receive stimulus payments and mandating release of some federal prisoners.
“Our essential workers – from nurses to grocery store employees – are stepping up and working together as real heroes do. Congress needs to do the same. The American people are desperate for leadership, not dysfunctional partisanship,” said Rep. McKinley.
Provisions include:
$10 million for National Endowment for the Arts.
$10 million for National Endowment for the Humanities.
Provides “deferred action” and work authorization during the emergency declaration and for 90 days after for illegal aliens working in jobs that could be held by out-of-work Americans.
Allows illegal immigrants to receive direct stimulus payments because the bill does not require social security number verification.
Extends $600/week UI supplement through Jan. 31, 2021, plus a transition to allow the supplement to continue through March 31, 2021 for those who have not exhausted their benefits, meaning businesses will be competing with unemployment benefits for workers through spring of 2021.
Provides a tax break for millionaires and billionaires by repealing SALT limitations for 2020 and 2021.
Mandates a blanket release for certain covered federal prisoners and alleged criminals, while imposing a high burden for the government to prove they present a risk of harm to society upon release.
Imposes a one-size-fits-all OSHA rule on all employers, which is counterproductive given the ever-changing circumstances created by COVID-19.
Provides $10,000 of blanket student loan forgiveness for all public and private loans.
Radically expands Phase 2 paid leave employer mandates by extending the mandates for an extra year, applying them to all employers, including small businesses, allowing more categories of leave to be compensated, and subjecting small businesses to lawsuits for alleged violations.
Federalizes elections by including stringent mandates on how states must run elections, including early voting, no ID requirement for in-person voting, same-day registration, and no-excuse vote by mail in addition to providing absentee ballots to all registered voters without restrictions on ballot harvesting.
Expands Obamacare through a new Special Enrollment period, which has already been rejected by the White House.
Provides a 100 percent subsidy to cover an individual’s premium costs for COBRA continuation coverage or a furloughed worker’s employer-sponsored coverage premium costs without Hyde protections to ensure that no federal funds are used to provide abortion services.
Virtually rewrites SNAP policy with no reference to COVID-19 and permanently disallows rulemaking pertaining to work requirements and eligibility.
o Increases the minimum benefit from $16 to $30, permanently.
o Waives all work requirements from June 1 until the date two years after enactment.
o Permanently rescinds the Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents, Broad Based Categorical Eligibility, and Standard Utility Allowance rules.
o Ensures the additional $600 in UI income is not counted toward SNAP eligibility determinations.