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This week three million additional unemployment claims were filed and it is expected that a $3 trillion coronavirus package will pass the House on the evening of May 15th.
Today, the House is expected to pass the next round of stimulus funding through their chamber. The HEROES Act (HR 6800) is targeting funding to states and municipalities whose budgetary cupboards are nearly bare. States have spent large portions of their budgets to address the coronavirus. The virus spending, coupled with a loss of revenue from sales and income taxes, has impacted many states. Almost all states, unlike the federal government, have balanced budget provisions and don't have the same federal fiscal tools to deficit-spend. The HEROES Act would provide states with $500 billion, local governments with $375 billion, $20 billion for tribal communities, and a $20 billion split among U.S.territories.
The bill also includes additional stimulus checks of $1,200 for single tax filers and $2,400 for joint filers. There are additional funds for coronavirus testing and contract tracing to help curb the spread of the disease. The House bill continues to expand unemployment insurance through January 31, 2021. The bill would also provide a 25% set-aside of Payment Protection Program loan funds for nonprofit borrowers, with not more than 12.5% used for loans with 500 or more employees.
The bill includes provisions targeted to lower-income Americans including:
-extending the SNAP benefit by 15%;
-an additional $175 billion in housing assistance;
-increasing the Child Tax Credit to $3,000;
-expanding eligibility of the Earned Income Tax Credit.
The HEROES Act is largely seen as the opening proposal by House Democrats intended to foster discussions with the Senate and the White House. The White House has indicated that they would veto the HEROES Act if it reaches the President's desk. Senate leadership has indicated that the House's bill will not pass through their chamber. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has also stated that "This is not a time for aspirational legislation." The Senate is preparing their fixes to the CARES Act focused on liability protections for businesses and is expected sometime after Memorial Day.
As of Thursday, nearly 3 million people had filed for unemployment benefits. This brings the two-month total of claims to more than 36 million, the largest unemployment rate in the United States since the Great Depression. The rate of increase in claims has begun to decrease from late March's high of 6 million claims.
Catholic Charities USA remains committed to working with our leaders and lifting up the needs of our brothers and sisters in poverty by providing congressional leaders recommendations they can take to mitigate the impact on people dealing with the coronavirus. You can check out Catholic Charities USA's resource page highlighting the latest information on COVID-19 here.
The Supreme Court did not release its decision for DACA recipients again this week. CCUSA continues to monitor the court's decision and advocate for a legislative solution.
Faith and the Common Good
As we begin to celebrate the 5th anniversary of Laudato Si', here is one of the prayers Pope Francis included at the end of the encyclical. Even as we pray for our earth, the prayer speaks to the interconnectedness of our world and communities, especially during the pandemic.
A prayer for our earth
All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love,
that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace, that we may live
as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction. Touch the hearts
of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united
with every creature
as we journey towards your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle
for justice, love and peace.
5th Anniversary of Laudato Si'
Pope Francis has invited Catholics to participate in Laudato Si' Week, a nine-day global campaign taking place May 16-24, 2020. Sign up to receive daily reflections with ways to pray, learn, and act to care for God's creation. Visit our full library of resources from the USCCB Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development for more ways you can observe the fifth anniversary of Laudato Si'.
Trivia
Which important document on the importance of peace was published a hundred years ago?
Sonia Campbell of Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph was the first to identify Mazie Keiko Hirono as a Japanese-born American politician serving since 2013 as the junior United States Senator from Hawaii. Hirono is the first elected female senator from Hawaii, the first Asian-American woman elected to the Senate and the first U.S. senator born in Japan. She is the third woman to be elected to Congress from Hawaii (after Patsy Mink and Pat Saiki). Hirono's three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives make her the dean, or longest-serving member overall, of Hawaii's congressional delegation.
Please send your answers to socialpolicy@catholiccharitiesusa.org
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