WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) supported the passage of the targeted coronavirus relief package and FY21 Omnibus Appropriations bill, which funds the federal government through September 30, 2021 and includes many priorities important to Texas:
Relief for Texans During the Pandemic:
- Provides direct financial assistance to Texans:
- Provides individuals making up to $75,000 with a $600 check and an additional $600 for each eligible child. A family of four making up to $150,000 will receive $2,400
- Extends the eviction moratorium until January 31, 2021 and provides $25 billion in temporary and targeted rental assistance for those who lost their source of income during the pandemic
- Expands unemployment insurance (UI) for Texas workers:
- Provides an extra $300 weekly federal UI benefit on top of the state maximum temporarily
- Assists the health care industry’s response:
- Provides $19.695 billion for the purchase, development, and production of vaccines and $8.75 billion for vaccine distribution, administration, and monitoring
- Provides $22.4 billion to assist states with testing and containment
- Reauthorizes the Community Health Centers program for three years and provides $1.68 billion in appropriated funds.
- Provides $3.25 billion for the Strategic National Stockpile of PPE and other critical supplies
- Provides $3 billion for the Provider Relief Fund
- Provides $4.25 billion for substance abuse and mental health treatment and prevention
- Supports Texans in rural areas:
- Includes $300 million to build out rural broadband
- Provides an additional $250 million for telehealth
- Provides $11.2 billion in funding for agricultural assistance to support farmers, ranchers, logging and timber, textile mills, and producers.
- Provides $1 billion in repurposed funding for agricultural losses due to previous natural disasters.
- Provides for Texas education, childcare, and nutrition:
- Provides $10 billion for childcare centers
- Allocates $82 billion in funding to support students, teachers, schools, and families, including:
- $54.3 billion to help elementary and secondary schools safely re-open or remain open;
- $22.7 billion to support students and institutions of higher education;
- And $4.1 billion as part of the Governors Fund to give states flexible funding to address students’ needs from early childhood through college
- Continues and provides additional waivers and flexibility for School Nutrition Programs, of which two-thirds of Texas school children participate in
- Provides $400 million in funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program and $1.5 billion for the purchase of food and commodities to help Texas food banks meet unprecedented demand
- Includes a six-month increase in supplemental food benefits for low-income Texans
Supporting Texas Workers & Job Creators:
- Paycheck Protection Program (PPP): Provides more than $250 billion to replenish the program, which provides loans to allow small businesses to maintain their payroll, hire back laid-off employees, and cover interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities
- Save Our Stages Act: Provides Small Business Administration grants totaling $15 billion for entertainment venue operators affected by COVID-19 stay-at-home orders in order to keep venues afloat, pay employees, and preserve a critical economic sector
- Small Business Expense Protection Act: Clarifies the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) so small businesses can deduct expenses paid with a forgiven PPP loan from their taxes
- Extension of the Donation Acceptance Program: Provides a one-year extension of this program promoting public-private partnerships to boost staffing and make infrastructure improvements at U.S. ports of entry without adding to the national deficit
Protecting Texas Children:
- Preventing Online Sales of E-Cigarettes to Children Act: Blocks online sales of electronic cigarettes to children
Strengthening Texas’ Energy Sector:
- Launching Energy Advancement and Development through Innovations for Natural Gas (LEADING) Act: Incentivizes research and development of carbon capture technology for natural gas to ensure a reliable, affordable, and environmentally sound energy supply
Preserving Texans’ History:
- National Museum of the American Latino Act: Authorizes the Smithsonian Institution to create a museum honoring American Latinos