On May 15 the House passed, with some Democratic dissent, the $3 trillion Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act.
The HEROES Act returns certain elements taken away by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and adjusts for elements within the CARES Act. Highlights include $1 trillion in state and local funding, direct payments, unemployment insurance, money for COVID-19 testing, and tax, health and retirement provisions. Republicans are largely opposed, and the bill faces a steep challenge in the Senate.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) believes that the HEROES Act is a starting point for bipartisan negotiations. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has stated that another bill is likely necessary but said the HEROES Act in its current form is "dead on arrival."
Many Republicans say that they do not see the immediate need for another bill, as the impact of the first few bills is not yet known. House Democrats say the bill is needed now because of the immense impact of the COVID-19 crisis, with more than 36 million unemployed Americans seeking relief. With partisanship at an all-time high and election season quickly approaching, skeptics are playing dice as to the outcome.
Speaker Pelosi described the HEROES Act as addressing three main concerns:
Highlights of the bill include:
The HEROES Act also modifies or expands a wide range of other programs and policies, including those regarding Medicare and Medicaid, health insurance, broadband service, medical product supplies, immigration, student loans and financial aid, the federal workforce, prisons, veterans benefits, consumer protection requirements, the U.S. Postal Service, federal elections, aviation and railroad workers, and pension and retirement plans.
President Trump, meanwhile, doesn't support the current HEROES Act and has stood by his earlier statements of middle-class tax relief, fewer regulations and a pro-growth plan. The White House released a statement saying the House "is more concerned with delivering on longstanding partisan and ideological wish lists than with enhancing the ability of our Nation to deal with the public health and economic challenges we face.