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Writer's pictureDavid Martins

GOOD NEWS from Sen. Leahy – Federal COVID-19 Relief Bill

Below please find information from Senator Leahy’s Office on the latest federal COVID-19 relief package. As Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Leahy was absolutely pivotal in negotiating what is substantial and comprehensive financial relief for folks who are on the front lines of dealing with the impacts of the pandemic, including VAHC and VCEH members.

Please take a moment to thank Senator Leahy and his staff for their crucial work on behalf of all Vermonters. Please be sure, also, to thank Senator Sanders and Congressman Welch and their staffs for their good work on this critical piece of legislation.

Please note that the bill has yet to pass the House and may undergo changes before it becomes law, but this is serious good news amid the dark cloud amid the dark cloud that has engulfed us all.

Links to detailed funding information are at the bottom of this email.

VAHC will push out more information on how much Vermont can expect to receive for specific programs as soon as it is available.

Thanks for everything you and your colleagues are doing to help low-income and vulnerable Vermonters during this crisis. Stay safe, healthy, and strong!

 

Leahy Releases Appropriations Summary Of Bipartisan Coronavirus Aid And Economic Relief Agreement

WASHINGTON (WEDNESDAY, March 25, 2020) – Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Wednesday released the bipartisan Senate agreement to provide relief from the coronavirus pandemic to our nation’s families and working people.  As Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Leahy was a lead negotiator on the appropriations title of the relief package to provide direct assistance to the American people, preserve small businesses, and distribute billions of dollars in resources to hospitals, first responders, and those at the front line of the coronavirus pandemic.  The Senate is expected to take up and pass the bill as soon as Wednesday afternoon.

Leahy said: “I have said from the beginning that our response to this crisis will come in phases as we address the evolving nature of the coronavirus pandemic.  Today our response is providing direct assistance to the American people, injecting new resources where they are needed most, and moving our country a step closer to emerging from this crisis stronger than we were before.”

As Vice Chairman, Leahy negotiated several appropriations priorities in the relief package that provides new resources to help strained state, local, and tribal governments as they combat this pandemic; support for hospitals and health care workers on the front lines of this public health crisis; funding to purchase personal protective equipment and much needed medical equipment; support for law enforcement and first responders; funding for scientists researching treatments and vaccines; support for small businesses; support for local schools and universities; and funding for affordable housing and homelessness assistance programs. This funding is in addition to the $150 billion Coronavirus Relief Fund that will provide state, local, and tribal government with additional resources to address this pandemic.

The document provides a summary of how the $330 billion provided in Division B of the bill will address the needs of the American people as we confront the coronavirus pandemic.  The summary does not reflect the mandatory or authorizing provisions of the agreement.

Appropriations summary prepared by the office of the Vice Chairman is available here: https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/download/032520-title-by-title-summary-final

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Abridged summary of Appropriations sections from Sen. Leahy’s Office: http://www.vtaffordablehousing.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/032520CV3-AppropsTitleSummary.pdf

Twitter thread w/ details from NLIHC’s Diane Yentel (full NLIHC analysis coming soon): https://twitter.com/dianeyentel/status/1242774396823056384

From Rapoza Associates, lobby firm for the National Rural Housing Coalition, among others):

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