Advocacy Updates

September Advocacy Update

On The Hill

This Week:

This week the Problem Solver Caucus released its March to Common Ground plan. Their goal was to spark some negotiations on COVID-19 legislation. Details are attached, but here's the framework:

· $100 billion for Testing and Healthcare: (testing, tracing, Medicare loan forgiveness, healthcare provider support)

· $316 billion in Direct Assistance to Individuals and Families: (WIC, SNAP, stimulus checks, rental assistance, eviction moratorium, student loan forbearance)

· $120 billion in Enhanced Unemployment Assistance

o $450 a week for eight weeks

o Followed by up to $600/week, and up to, but not to exceed 100% of previous wage

o 13 weeks from mid-October, 2020 - through January 2021

· $290 billion in Small Business and Non-Profits: (PPP, ERTC, Main Street)

· $145 billion for Schools and Child Care: (child care, K-12, higher ed)

· $500.3 billion in new money for State & Local Aid: (including tribal and territorial)

· $400 million in Election Support

· $52 billion for Broadband, Agriculture, USPS, Census

· $400 billion in Possible Automatic Boosters* (additional Unemployment Insurance, stimulus checks)

· (-)$200 billion in Possible Automatic Reducers* (PPP, State & Local, Rental):

o *Boosters and Reducers based on COVID hospitalization metrics and vaccine progress.

· Liability Protections

o Problem

Covid-19 has created the need to ensure workers, customers, and students are protected from transmission, and businesses, schools, and institutions are protected from frivolous lawsuits

o Solution

§ Enhanced protections for entities which follow enhanced OSHA guidelines

§ Robust enforcement of worker safety

Top-line numbers:

$1.523 trillion - Total new money

· $130 billion - Previously appropriated CARES money

· $400 billion - Possible 2021 automatic "boosters"

· (-) $200 billion - Possible 2021 automatic "reducers"

While the Problem Solvers Caucus proposal is $1.5 trillion, Democrats are now pushing for a lower $2.2 trillion proposal. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin signaled the White House would be open to going up to $1.5 trillion, and the President tweeted that Republicans should go up higher. However, the talks remain stalled.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said on Monday that the House is expected to vote on a clean government spending package next week in order to give the Senate time to pass the bill by the end of the month and avert a partial government shutdown. However, there are rumors the Senate could go out next week.

The Senate confirmed a total of eight judges this week: three on Tuesday, three on Wednesday and two on Thursday.

Upcoming Hearings

House Financial Services Committee will hold a (hybrid) hearing on the Treasury and Fed Reserve pandemic responses. The hearing is scheduled for Sept. 22nd at 10:30 AM.

House Financial Services Task Force on Financial Technology will hold (virtual) a hearing on who has the authority to lend and process payments in the FinTech age. The hearing is scheduled for Sept. 29th at 12:00 PM.

Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee will hold a (virtual) hearing on the federal response update to combat COVID-19. The hearing is scheduled for Sept. 23rd at 10:00 AM.

ADMINISTRATION UPDATES

UPDATES FROM SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

National Women's Business Council will hold a public meeting and listening session on Tuesday, September 29, 12-2 PM for the public meeting and 2-3 PM ET for the listening session.

This meeting will allow the Council to recap its activity and engagement over the course of Fiscal Year 2020. Each of the Council's four subcommittees (Access to Capital & Opportunity, Women in STEM, Rural Women's Entrepreneurship, and Communications) will present their policy recommendations and current projects to the full body for deliberation. The public will have the opportunity to provide feedback. For more information, click here.