The novel coronavirus that began sickening patients in China in early December 2019 has spread across the globe. The federal fiscal response to the outbreak in the U.S. has properly focused on two objectives: fight the virus and stabilize the domestic economy. To date, Congress and the president have enacted five pieces of emergency legislation, which are summarized in the table below:
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H.R.6074, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, which provided $8 billion for disease detection, protection and treatment;
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H.R.6021, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which established temporary short-term and long-term paid leave policies for workers and their families directly affected by exposure to the novel coronavirus; and
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H.R.748, The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which provided broad-based emergency federal funding for hospitals and healthcare providers to combat the virus, direct cash payments to individuals and families, and financial assistance to businesses small and large to help cover operating costs during the public health emergency.
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H.R.266, The Paycheck Protection Program and Healthcare Enhancement Act, which provided additional funding for small business and frontline healthcare workers.
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Division M (The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act) and Division N (Additional Coronavirus Response and Relief) of H.R.133, The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, which extended and adjusted many expired or expiring income support and virus-fighting programs that originated in the CARES Act (H.R. 748 above).
Additional congressional action is expected beyond the five bills summarized below. To avoid exacerbating the fiscal imbalances that pre-dated this crisis, The Concord Coalition will continue to advocate on behalf of measures that are timely, targeted, and temporary. This table will be updated as warranted.
