U.S. Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith voted today for H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The legislation will support families, workers, and businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Americans are in the midst of an economic crisis through no fault of their own,” Wicker said. “This emergency legislation was written in close consultation with small businesses to provide the support workers, parents, and employers need now. President Trump is right in asking Congress to pass this bill because the coronavirus pandemic is a once in a lifetime crisis that requires an extraordinary response. I am working with my colleagues in the Senate to craft the next phase of relief to get our economy back on track.”
“As a nation, we have never experienced anything like the health, social, and economic disruptions caused by this coronavirus,” Hyde-Smith said. “The bill going to the President is not perfect, but it will provide help as we work on a more comprehensive plan to secure the nation’s economic foundation and ensure health care providers have what they need to get us past this pandemic.”
H.R. 6201 was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and will now go to the President to be signed into law.
President Trump has signaled he will sign the bill (HR.6201), which focuses on additional aid to strengthen the U.S. health care system while also assisting workers, families, and businesses. At the same time, work is underway in the Senate on a third response package aimed at shoring up the U.S. economy.
The Senate is expected to consider another economic relief package to provide additional support to businesses and individuals affected by the coronavirus.
HR.6201, among other things, will:
- Provide free COVID-19 testing to the uninsured;
- Target health provisions to COVID-19, without including unrelated treatments;
- Increase flexibility for health care providers to provide care, including additional access to telehealth;
- Expand unemployment, food assistance, and paid leave benefits; and
- Provide Medicaid funding to help states alleviate budget shortfalls.
Magnolia Tribune
