Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse this morning threw his support behind a bipartisan deal for a third coronavirus legislative package that will inject $2 trillion into the national economy and send badly needed resources to Rhode Island hospitals, and to middle class families and local governments grappling with the financial downturn. Whitehouse issued the following statement on The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act:
“COVID-19 has triggered an unprecedented public health and economic crisis, and Congress has put together a plan big enough to begin confronting it and reviving our economy. There is only one way out of this cascading economic downturn and that is stopping the pandemic. The stimulus bill sends significant resources directly to the Rhode Island hospitals on the front lines, where new stocks of protective gear, beds, and ventilators are urgently needed.
“Rhode Islanders are making painful sacrifices to keep the community healthy, and those difficult decisions have left many families suddenly in need of a financial lifeline. The legislation provides a bridge to help workers get through this, including boosted unemployment benefits, cash payments to families, and loans and loan forgiveness for small businesses. It creates a financial backstop for the steps Governor Raimondo and municipal leaders have taken to save lives.
“I’m grateful to our Democratic leadership team for negotiating a worker-focused bill that is an enormous improvement over the corporation-focused bill presented by Leader McConnell just a few days ago.”
More information about the legislation is available here.
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