Many of the essential protections in the CARES Act, passed in March, have now expired, yet Nebraskans continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 public health crisis. While the U.S. House of Representatives passed the HEROES Act, the Senate has yet to act to provide critical and inclusive relief to thousands of Nebraskans, including Black and Latinx communities who have been hit the hardest by the pandemic.
When the Senate reconvenes on September 8th, it is essential for them to include these following items:
- Include all immigrant Nebraskans and mixed-status families in economic impact payments retroactively and going forward.
- Pass positive immigration laws that create stability for long-time residents, families and whole communities.
- Create enforceable workplace safety protections for Nebraskans who work in meat and poultry processing plants.
- Extend a national moratorium on evictions and foreclosures and provide $100 billion in emergency rental assistance and eviction prevention.
- Increase SNAP benefits by 15% to help families keep food on the table.
- Extend the $600 boost in Unemployment Insurance through 2020 for the thousands of Nebraskans currently out of work.
- Increase funding for Medicaid to help states meet the higher demand for the program and allow for a special Marketplace enrollment period to help people access health coverage.
- Place a moratorium on youth aging out of foster care during the pandemic and increase funding for child welfare programs.
See our blog for more information on how Congress can take action during this time.
Take Action: Senators need to hear from you now!
Contact your U.S. Senators and tell them the Senate’s COVID-19 relief package needs to prioritize these urgent community needs to continue responding to the ongoing challenges presented by this public health emergency.
| Sen. Deb Fischer (402) 833-2851 | Sen. Ben Sasse (402) 543-5348 |
During this challenging moment, the health, safety, and economic well-being of Nebraska communities must be our priority, so please urge Nebraska Senators to include these important components in this bill.
Thank you for your continued advocacy.