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Stauber Statement on House Passage of COVID Relief Package

December 21, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) voted to pass the omnibus and COVID relief deal, a bipartisan package to provide targeted relief to American workers, small businesses, and families. Stauber made the following statement after the bill's passage:

"Following the passage of tonight's relief package, my message to every American is this: more help is finally on the way. At the request of myself and my colleagues on the Problem Solvers Caucus, this package includes commonsense provisions to unleash more Paycheck Protection Program funds, end surprise medical billing, facilitate the safe reopening of schools and childcare centers, expand broadband services, address the dramatic rise in substance abuse, and assist with the rapid deployment of vaccines. I am proud to have played a role in crafting this legislation's framework and I look forward to seeing countless Americans benefit.

"However, this agreement is long overdue. For months, I joined many of my Congressional colleagues in calling on Speaker Pelosi to work across the aisle and bring up bipartisan legislation to address the American people's urgent needs. A virus that impacts our entire way of life calls for a bipartisan response, so I am happy that Speaker Pelosi finally set aside her list of partisan demands and focused on reaching an agreement on commonsense COVID relief.

"While the passage of this bipartisan relief package is a monumental step in the right direction, we are not yet out of the woods. The enormity of this bill points to the obvious – America needs to get back to work and our economy cannot continue to take these endless shutdowns. As more federal funds and vaccines are distributed across the state, I along with an overwhelming majority of my constituents will continue to pressure the Governor to allow our small businesses and schools to safely reopen. It's past time for the Governor to level the playing field and allow our small businesses to play by the same rules as major corporations."

This package includes provisions that:

  • Extend the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and add deductibility for PPP expenses.
  • End surprise medical billing.
  • Provide $82 billion in funding for schools and universities to assist with reopening for in-person learning.
  • Deliver $10 billion for grants to childcare centers to help providers safely reopen.
  • Administer $7 billion in broadband funding.
  • Allocate $4 billion for substance abuse – significant progress made over past several years on opioid addiction has been reversed because of the impact of COVID lockdowns.
  • Deliver $20 billion for the purchase of vaccines and $8 billion for vaccine distribution.

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