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7-21-2020 HEROES Act call in day TOMORROW

Tomorrow, July 22, the AFL-CIO is leading a national call-in day to demand that the Senate take up the HEROES Act.
The call-in link is: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/heroesact/
Please also visit https://www.passtheheroesact.org/ for the AFL-CIO HEROES Act toolkit where you can find a local event, talking points, placards, social graphics, and more.
Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act or the HEROES Act
This bill responds to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) outbreak and its impact on the economy, public health, state and local governments, individuals, and businesses.
Among other things, the bill

  • provides FY2020 emergency supplemental appropriations to federal agencies;
  • provides payments and other assistance to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments;
  • provides additional direct payments of up to $1,200 per individual;
  • expands paid sick days, family and medical leave, unemployment compensation, nutrition and food assistance programs, housing assistance, and payments to farmers;
  • modifies and expands the Paycheck Protection Program, which provides loans and grants to small businesses and nonprofit organizations;
  • establishes a fund to award grants for employers to provide pandemic premium pay for essential workers;
  • expands several tax credits and deductions;
  • provides funding and establishes requirements for COVID-19 testing and contact tracing;
  • eliminates cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatments;
  • extends and expands the moratorium on certain evictions and foreclosures; and
  • requires employers to develop and implement infectious disease exposure control plans.

The bill also modifies or expands a wide range of other programs and policies, including those regarding

  • Medicare and Medicaid,
  • health insurance,
  • broadband service,
  • medical product supplies,
  • immigration,
  • student loans and financial aid,
  • the federal workforce,
  • prisons,
  • veterans benefits,
  • consumer protection requirements,
  • the U.S. Postal Service,
  • federal elections,
  • aviation and railroad workers, and
  • pension and retirement plans.

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