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DeLauro Floor Remarks in Support of the Updated Heroes Act

October 1, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C.Today, Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Chair Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) delivered the following remarks on the House Floor in support of emergency coronavirus relief legislation, the updated version of the Heroes Act. A video of DeLauro's remarks can be found here.

I rise in support of the reworked Heroes bill.

The people of Connecticut and of the United States deserve no less than the full support of the federal government to get them to the dawn of recovery. While the House passed a comprehensive bill for the American people back in May, the Senate failed to act. So, we advance this $2.2 trillion dollar package, it includes $2.7 billion for Connecticut, to protect lives, livelihoods, and the life of our democracy.

As chair of the Labor-Health and Human Services-Education Appropriations Subcommittee, I am proud of the investments here for patients, working people, children, seniors, and public education.

For health, we provide $75 billion for coronavirus testing, contact tracing, and isolation measures and $28 billion for a safe and effective vaccine.

For working people, we must save jobs and protect workers and their families. So, we strengthen, expand, and protect emergency paid leave. We restore the expanded $600 unemployment benefit through the end of January. And, we continue to support work share programs.

For children and families, we must not allow a generation to be lost or to let their bright futures darken. We provide $182 billion for K-12 education and nearly $39 billion for postsecondary, along with the Child Care is Essential Act which I introduced with Chairman Bobby Scott for $50 billion to save the child care industry and then my legislation to make the Child Tax Credit fully refundable to make it accessible to all, including the one third previously excluded, including half of Black and Latinx children.

I am proud of these provisions, as I am of the provisions to increase the maximum SNAP benefit by 15 percent, to aid nutrition programs, food banks, farmers and producers, as well small businesses and restaurants.

So, let us put politics second, and let us put the people first. Let us vote yes on this relief bill, for the people of this country, for the seniors, for the children, and those who every day are looking toward the federal government, because they are in desperate shape. They need our help, they need this legislation.