Friends —

As we face the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), Team Warner has an update on what Mark is doing to protect Virginians and all Americans. Earlier this week, he voted to pass the bipartisan coronavirus emergency relief bill to provide targeted relief for Americans impacted by the outbreak.

Mark believes that no one should lose their job or miss a paycheck because of this outbreak. That's why he’s been working to pass bipartisan emergency assistance for workers and small businesses. But he also believes that the measures taken to address coronavirus must include our gig economy workers — independent contractors who work for companies like food delivery and rideshare services.

These workers need a social safety net, plain and simple. Mark is leading the charge to make sure that happens, and he has already delivered results. He sent a letter to the largest gig worker platforms calling on these companies to provide financial assistance and flexibility to workers affected by the coronavirus outbreak. So far Uber, Lyft, Postmates, Instacart, and DoorDash have all announced plans to assist gig workers who are quarantined or treated during the Coronavirus outbreak. This helps secure not only their employees’ financial security but also our broader public health.

At this point, we have all heard that we should be practicing social distancing or even self-quarantining to reduce the spread of COVID-19. However, following these public health directives may present a financial challenge for some workers. Gig workers are extremely vulnerable during this outbreak — fear of lost income or high out-of-pocket health care costs may prevent them from staying home from work.

Thousands of Virginians work or supplement their income using these platforms, and many more rely on their services. For years, Mark has been a leader in working to expand our social safety net to cover these workers. And as we continue to deal with this crisis, he’s going to keep pushing to make sure federal assistance is available to these and other workers and small business owners who need it.

Thank you for your support,

Team Warner