Congressman Jason Crow Votes to Pass Second Coronavirus Relief Package

Late last night, Representative Jason Crow delivered a strong, bipartisan package for Colorado families to take action and address the coronavirus (COVID-19).

"As the coronavirus disrupts American life, we have a duty to our fellow citizens to do everything we can to protect families, health care providers, and our most vulnerable populations. Too many Americans are forced to choose between staying home if they are sick and putting dinner on the table, it's an impossible choice and risks the health of our community. Addressing this public health crisis requires that we just not find a cure, but that we come together as a country to care for one another. By providing free testing, paid sick leave, and food assistance for families, we show our commitment to the health and safety of all Americans. The Senate must act with the urgency that this crisis demands and pass this bill."

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act includes the following:

• Paid family leave: The Families First Coronavirus Response Act creates a right to 12 weeks of paid family leave that replaces a significant share of lost wages so that those who take leave to avoid spreading the virus or due to illness or caregiving responsibilities can pay their bills.

• Paid sick leave: the Families First Coronavirus Response Act creates another right to two weeks of paid sick leave for people to get tested, undergo quarantine, and care for family members and kids forced to be home from school.

• Free testing for coronavirus: The Families First Coronavirus Response Act ensures that all individuals, including those with private insurance, Medicare Advantage or Original Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, VA, FEHBP, and TRICARE, as well as the uninsured, will have access to tests at no cost.

• Enhanced, emergency unemployment measures: The Families First Coronavirus Response Act gives states the resources and flexibility to provide unemployment benefits to laid off and furloughed workers, as well as to those workers who exhaust their allotted paid leave. This measure also provides additional funding to help the hardest-hit states immediately and in the future if conditions worsen.

• Expanding food assistance programs: The Families First Coronavirus Response Act includes more than $1 billion to provide nutritious foods to low-income pregnant women and mothers with young children, help local food banks meet increased demand for low-income Americans during the emergency, and provide home-delivered and congregate meals to low-income seniors. It also ensures that children who depend on schools' free and reduced-priced meals continue to have access to nutritious foods in the event of school closures.

• Safeguards Medicaid benefits: In order to prepare for the potential for new Medicaid enrollees if people lose their jobs, and to assist states as they take on additional costs that have resulted from the virus, Families First Coronavirus Response Act also increases the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) that the federal government provides to state and territorial Medicaid programs by 6.2%. This will prevent states from cutting benefits, reducing their Medicaid rolls or imposing greater premium and cost-sharing for enrollees.

As of Friday evening, 77 cases of coronavirus have been detected in Colorado and the first death in the state was reported in El Paso County.

The House is expected to take up additional measures to protect American lives. Last week, Representative Crow took action to address the coronavirus in Colorado and across the country helping passthe bipartisan emergency supplemental funding package to respond to COVID-19 which included over $9 million for Colorado.