Team,

Cory’s been very busy in Washington these past few weeks -- fighting to expand COVID-19 testing, secure personal protective equipment for our health care workers, and much, much more to flatten the curve and reduce the spread of this harmful virus. He’s also been fighting to help workers, families, and small businesses impacted by the economic fallout of this crisis.

In addition to the rising number of infections across our country, the economic impact of this global health challenge has been dramatic. A crisis of this magnitude clearly requires bold action from the federal government to keep workers afloat.

There’s a major bipartisan relief package that passed the Senate late last night and is moving through Congress this week. Here’s what’s in the proposal, what Cory has been fighting for, and how it will help address the health and economic impacts we’re all feeling right now:

• A “Marshall Plan for Hospitals.” The relief package includes billions in funding for America’s health care system -- an important priority that Cory had been advocating for. This will make sure that hospitals and health care providers have billions of dollars in additional resources to support frontline workers and save lives during this public health crisis.
   
• A historic expansion of unemployment benefits. Cory and his Democratic colleagues successfully helped secure the largest expansion of unemployment insurance in decades -- which will cover four months of enhanced benefits for workers who’ve lost their jobs during the economic downturn. It amounts to an additional $600 per week of benefits for workers who have been laid off or seen their hours reduced.
   
• Direct cash payments. Cory pushed for immediate and significant cash payments to American workers and families to help stimulate the economy and put money in the pocket of people who need it most. A version of his idea is included in the relief package -- the legislation will provide $1,200 per adult and $500 per child for most Americans.
   
• Essential aid for small businesses. Cory believes that small businesses are the backbone of the American economy. As a result of his efforts alongside Senate Democrats, this bill includes $350 billion in loan forgiveness grants for small businesses to cover their payroll and other necessary expenses.
   
• Resources for HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions. Cory called for emergency funding for HBCUs and additional minority-serving institutions, which is included in the relief package -- providing much-needed resources to these establishments that are pillars of stability and strength in the communities they serve.

It’s clear that much more work will need to be done in the coming weeks to rescue our economy and save as many lives as possible. But for now, this relief bill needs to be passed by Congress and signed into law by the President as soon as possible so we can provide immediate assistance to those most in need.

These are uncertain times, but we will rise to meet this challenge together. Stay safe out there and we’ll be in touch with more updates soon.

Team Booker

P.S. Here’s a clip of Cory on MSNBC this week talking about his work to improve federal relief efforts.

Here are important resources to refer to during this public health emergency:
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus
www.covid19.nj.gov
www.jobs.covid19.nj.gov