How to help protect all Americans through the COVID-19 crisis: Your civic action to-do list for 3-16-20
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COVID-19 is impacting every aspect of our lives. Schools and workplaces are closing, people are being laid off, and the hardest-hit people are those already experiencing financial instability.
The Senate must act now and pass the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201). While the Act isn’t perfect, if passed immediately it can provide the following economic supports:
3. Currently there is no federal law mandating paid sick leave or family medical leave. Under normal circumstances this puts millions of workers at risk, but right now these policies put all Americans in danger.
In a nutshell: The Families First Act requires all businesses with fewer than 500 employees to provide paid sick leave and partially-paid family leave (though businesses with fewer than 50 can receive an exemption in providing paid family leave).
2. With Americans losing wages and being laid off, it will be difficult for families to put food on the table.
In a nutshell: The bill provides more than $1 billion for food banks and suspends new work requirements for recipients of SNAP (formerly known as food stamps).
1. Nearly 30 million Americans today are uninsured – and scared to seek help because of the cost of medical treatment.
In a nutshell: This bill funds medical testing for the uninsured and those on government healthcare plans, and requires private health insurers to provide free testing, including the cost of the visit.