#COVID-19 – Relief is on its way!

It wasn’t easy, but we got it done. After Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democrats wasted critical days holding the latest Coronavirus relief package hostage, Congress has come back together to vote on a critical bill that will send financial assistance home NOW.

Here are key parts of this bill I know will be a huge help to Texans:

• $377 billion to help small businesses continue to pay their employees
• Immediate cash flow to individuals who – through no fault of their own – have not been able to work and earn a paycheck
  • A family of four making less than $150,000 can receive up to $3,400 to help pay bills and put food on the table
• Unemployment benefits now available to Texans who are self-employed or independent contractors
• Unemployment benefits will be increased $600 more per week through July 31, 2020
• Paid family leave for 12 weeks if you are ill or caring for someone who is ill
• Repayment of student loans can be deferred for up to six months without garnering penalties
• Vital industries like airlines, hotels and hospitality will be eligible for loans to carry them through this time without letting down the thousands of Texans who work for them, and the millions who will again rely on them for entertainment and travel

** From the beginning, I was resolute that relief money to help large industries must be used to keep employees on the payroll and the lights turned on until business returned to normal. Not a single penny ought to be used to boost executive compensation or purchase stocks and bonds.

This bill will also send money to state and local governments to strengthen their community’s response efforts, including $850 million directly to law enforcement officers for personal protective equipment and overtime. $100 billion will also go to support other heroes on the front lines: our community hospitals (especially rural hospitals), telehealth providers, and health care workers.

There’s no other way to put it: Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer tried to exploit Americans’ fear and pain in order to push non-related, Liberal priorities onto this bill. They weren’t successful, and this final bill looks close to the original. I expect voters will remember how Democrats wasted precious time playing politics during an unprecedented crisis.

I’ll continue to keep you updated on my work in Washington. Until then, be safe… follow CDC guidelines, stay home as much as possible, and take care of one another. We’re in this together, and we will get through it.