House to Pass New COVID Relief Package, Senate Must Follow Suit

The House is poised to pass a modified COVID-19 relief package to provide assistance to Americans whose lives have been upended by the pandemic, and to bolster pillars of our democracy strained under the national health crisis. The Senate must act after refusing to move on a more robust relief package passed by the House in May. It is past time for Senate Republicans to move to help the American people instead of focusing on trying to ram through the confirmation of another Supreme Court Justice while ignoring the plight of their constituents.

In addition to financial relief to families across the country, the updated HEROES Act will provide funding for cash-strapped local election officials who have faced unanticipated expenses and hurdles in holding elections during the pandemic. The legislation includes broadband funding to close the "homework gap" for lower income Americans and allow those families to stay connected during this national crisis. It will provide funding to ensure we have an accurate census count even during a pandemic and extend the Census deadlines to ensure that everyone can be counted. The bill would also bring a needed infusion of funding to the U.S. Postal Service suffering under lost revenue due to COVID-19 and mismanagement by the Trump administration.

Millions of Americans are looking to their elected officials for relief during this national crisis. The House has acted once to provide that relief and will again soon. The nation will be watching the Senate closely. And in a month's time, more citizens will have the opportunity to go to the polls and let their elected officials know whether or not they approve of how the Senate has handled this crisis.

To read Common Cause's letter in support of the bill, click here.

To view this statement online, click here.