WASHINGTON, March 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Democrats in the US House of Representatives unveiled a broad package of proposals to help Americans affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.
The legislation would grant workers 14 days of paid sick leave and up to three months of paid family and medical leave, a summary of the Bill shows.
Other provisions in the 124-page “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” introduced late on Wednesday include unemployment insurance to furloughed workers and hundreds of millions of dollars in additional funding for children’s, seniors’ and other federal nutrition programs.
An additional US$500 million would be provided to help feed low-income pregnant women or mothers with young children who lose their jobs or are laid off because of the virus outbreak.
Another US$400 million would help local food banks meet increased demand.
The legislation also would guarantee free coronavirus testing for anyone who requires it, including uninsured people.
Democrats introduced the measure as President Donald Trump announced he would suspend travel for Europe to the United States in his latest bid to contain the coronavirus.
After a closed-door meeting with fellow Democrats earlier on Wednesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she hoped legislation to help Americans navigate through the coronavirus crisis would win the backing of the Trump administration.
“This vote tomorrow (Thursday) is going to be an act of confidence that … we’re acting on a national health emergency,” House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal said.
Neal said that on Tuesday he spoke with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and “he surely seemed supportive of the positions I had taken.”
Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress, has also been talking to Mnuchin.
House Democrats hope to pass this coronavirus bill through Congress before it begins a scheduled recess at the end of this week.
Its fate in the Republican-led Senate was unclear.
The number of US coronavirus cases has risen steadily and has affected almost three-quarters of US states. More than 1,000 cases and 32 deaths have been reported.
Meanwhile, a Capitol official confirmed that the spreading coronavirus prompted a decision to temporarily stop tourist visits, although the landmark building will remain open for legislative business.
The tours would be suspended through the end of March, a congressional official said, adding it was not yet clear when the suspensions would start.
An estimated 3 million visitors stream through the Capitol annually.
Even before the decision limiting access to the Capitol, the number of visits was falling, said Democratic Representative Donna Shalala, ex-President Bill Clinton’s secretary of health.
