The HEROES Act and Moving Forward Act Show the Pathway for America’s Economic Recovery
The House of Representatives has recently passed two bills that could revive our economy, protect health care and pension benefits, and create thousands of good paying union jobs. Sadly, the Senate and the Trump Administration are blocking these bills.
The HEROES (“Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions”) Act passed on May 15. This legislation would protect workers and help our economy recover from the disruption caused by COVID-19.
Significantly, the bill also addresses priorities we worked with Congress to include. In April BAC sent a letter to Congress outlining our priorities – pension security, health care security, and economic security. The HEROES Act provides healthcare security by providing a 100% COBRA subsidy to workers who lose their healthcare because of reduced work; and it helps provide retirement security by including pension reforms that address problems in the multiemployer pension system. It also helps address economic security with improved unemployment insurance and direct payments to individuals. Economic security is further address by the passage of the Moving Forward Act on July 1.
The Moving Forward Act is a long overdue investment in our nations’ infrastructure. It provides, a $1.5 trillion investment in spending across a range of infrastructure, including surface transportation, water, aviation, broadband, healthcare, and energy. It also includes investment in schools with the Reopen and Rebuild America’s Schools Act, which provides $130 billion to rebuild high-poverty schools with crumbling facilities that endanger the health and safety of students and educators. This investment will not only help our students get back to school, but also create 1.9 million jobs to help our workers get back to work.
The HEROES Act and the Moving Forward Act would create good paying jobs and put American back on the road to recovery. It is disappointing that the Senate and the Administration are blocking these efforts. But it shows how much progress could be made if the election brings us positive change in Washington.