Sunday, June 28, 2020

Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. Supports Bill to Protect Homeowners during Coronavirus Crisis

Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. co-sponsored the COVID-19 Homeowner Assistance Fund Act today. The $75 billion bill (H.R. 6729) would provide financial assistance to homeowners who are struggling to pay their mortgage during the coronavirus global pandemic. It would help them pay their mortgage as well as property taxes, property insurance, utilities, and other housing-related costs to prevent foreclosures.

“The loss of housing is one of the most common concerns for constituents in my district,” said Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. “I wanted to co-sponsor this bill because it gets people the money they need to stay in their homes during this public health and economic crisis. We are still struggling to reopen our country. We don’t need a housing crisis during this difficult time.”

Rep. Payne, Jr. has been working diligently to fight for his constituents and all Americans during the coronavirus global pandemic. He introduced a bill to get hazard pay for the nation’s federal frontline workers, such as TSA agents, daycare workers, and veteran health care workers. He co-wrote a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve a ventilator design that could help supply local hospitals in New Jersey and the rest of the country that the FDA approved a week later. As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response & Recovery of the House Committee on Homeland Security, he has been in constant contact with FEMA officials to support them in their efforts to aid and protect the American people.

In addition, he has voted to approve five coronavirus-related aid bills in the House to help the nation survive this public health crisis. The most recent legislation, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act (H.R. 6800) was a $3 trillion emergency stimulus package that would provide roughly $1 trillion to state and local governments to help them pay coronavirus-related costs, another $1,200 payment to low and middle-income Americans with a maximum of $6,000 per family, $200 billion in hazard pay to essential workers, and an additional $75 billion to improve the country’s coronavirus testing and contact tracing.

The first law, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R. 6074), provided $8.3 billion to fund medical efforts. The second one, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201), allowed Americans to get free coronavirus testing and workers to get mandatory paid sick leave. The third one, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (H.R. 748) authorized more than $2 trillion to Americans in coronavirus aid, including direct payments to low and middle-income workers, increased unemployment benefits, $349 billion to small businesses through grants and interest-free loans, $150 billion to state and local governments to help them handle coronavirus-related expenses, and $200 billion to support America’s hospitals and health care workers.

The fourth bill, the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (H.R. 266), allocated $310 billion to the Paycheck Protection Program to allow small businesses to pay their employees, $75 billion to health care facilities for protective equipment and care, and $25 billion to enhance the country’s coronavirus testing capability.

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