Stauber among votes for bill to address coronavirus

Minnesota Eighth District U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber voted in favor of legislation Saturday to help address the coronavirus spread. Only one member of the state's congressional delegation went against the bill.

Stauber, a Republican, said in a statement Saturday morning that the bipartisan Families First Coronavirus Response Act would help meet the challenges in wake of a global pandemic that has hit the U.S. in recent weeks.

He was joined by Minnesota Reps. Republican Jim Hagedorn and Democrats Dean Phillips, Ilhan Omar, Betty McCollum, Angie Craig and Colin Peterson in approving the measure. Republican Tom Emmer was the only Minnesota delegation member to oppose it. A statement from Emmer's office was not immediately available.

"As more cases of coronavirus are detected in the United States, it is imperative that Congress continue to enact reforms that safeguard the health and welfare of the American people," Stauber said through a statement. "This is not a partisan issue, so I was proud to join my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in passing legislation that will ensure free testing, give families financial certainty, expand telehealth services, and protect seniors with severe medical conditions."

The House-approved measure provides direct relief to Americans suffering physically, financially and emotionally from the coronavirus pandemic. Passage came after President Donald Trump had declared the outbreak a national emergency, freeing up money and resources to fight it, and threw his support behind the congressional aid package.

The hard-fought aid package will provide free testing, sick pay for workers, enhanced unemployment benefits and bolstered food programs.

The House passed the bill after midnight on a bipartisan vote, 363-40.

"We did what we said we were going to do: Put families first," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Trump tweeted his approval, all but ensuring that wary Republicans would join with a robust vote. "Good teamwork between Republicans & Democrats as the House passes the big CoronaVirus Relief Bill," he tweeted Saturday. "People really pulled together. Nice to see!"

The legislation now goes to the Senate, whose members are out of town this weekend, and no vote has been scheduled.

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., praised the bill in a Saturday press release and called on the Senate to pass it.

"As we take on coronavirus, we cannot lose sight of the most vulnerable among us," she said. "The coronavirus response bill passed in the House of Representatives would expand much needed testing, provide emergency sick leave, strengthen unemployment insurance, and establish food security initiatives to protect Americans and their families as they grapple with the effects of this public health crisis in all aspects of their lives."

As part of the emergency declaration by Trump on Friday, he also announced a range of executive actions, including a new public-private partnership to expand coronavirus testing capabilities with drive-through locations, as Washington tries to subdue the virus whose spread is roiling markets, shuttering institutions and disrupting the lives of everyday Americans.