Congressman Steven Horsford Releases Statement on Completion of House Ways and Means Committee Markup of COVID-19 Relief Measures

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Steven Horsford and the House Ways and Means Committee completed the markup of key provisions in President Biden's American Rescue Act. With the closing of the markup, Congressman Horsford released the following statement:

"Nevada's families and small businesses are counting on Congress to take bold, urgent action against the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the House Ways and Means Committee finished our markup of nine legislative proposals in President Biden's American Rescue Act, bringing this historic relief plan one step closer to final passage." said Congressman Steven Horsford.

"The American Rescue Act provides for direct cash payments, essential child care tax credits, and expanded unemployment insurance to help the millions who have lost their jobs during this pandemic. This legislation includes my bill to increase and extend federal weekly unemployment payments through the end of August, and reflects my efforts to expand affordable health care, support struggling families, and keep seniors healthy. Congress knows that our communities cannot wait for relief, and I am proud to partner with the Biden-Harris administration to deliver for Nevada."

The legislative proposals considered by the House Ways and Means Committee include:

Additional direct assistance:

• Giving working families an additional direct payment of $1,400 per person—bringing their total relief to $2,000 per person.

Critical supports for unemployed workers:

• Extends temporary federal unemployment and benefits through August 29, 2021.
• Increases the weekly benefit from $300 to $400.

Fairness in the tax code for families and workers:

• Makes historic expansions to tax credits targeted at workers and families:
  • Enhances the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for workers without children by nearly tripling the maximum credit and extending eligibility.
    • This would be the largest expansion to EITC since 2009.

Expands the Child Tax Credit to $3,000 per child ($3,600 for children under 6), and makes it fully refundable and advanceable.

• Helps families access high-quality child care by expanding the Child and Dependent Tax Credit (CDCTC) to allow families to claim up to half of their child care expenses.

Supporting health coverage and improving health care affordability:

• Reduces health care premiums for low- and middle-income families by increasing the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) premium tax credits for 2021 and 2022.
• Supports the continuation of employer-based health coverage by subsidizing COBRA coverage through the end of the fiscal year.
• Creates health care subsidies for unemployed workers who are ineligible for COBRA.

Protecting the elderly and crushing the virus in nursing homes:

• Provides skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) the tools and on-the-ground support they need to contain COVID-19 outbreaks and gives states funding to deploy strike teams to SNFs to manage outbreaks when they do occur.
• Increases public health and social services through the Elder Justice Act to combat abuse, neglect, and exploitation of the elderly that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emergency assistance for vulnerable children, families, and workers:

• Uses existing pathways to get resources to people in need quickly, including those who may not be receiving other assistance provided during the pandemic
  • This aid would help ensure that pregnant women, children, and struggling families can maintain access to the essentials during the emergency, like housing, diapers, internet service, soap, and food.

Strengthened retirement security:

• Stabilizes the pensions of more than 1 million Americans, often frontline workers, who participate in multiemployer plans that are rapidly approaching insolvency.
• Without action, the multiemployer pension system could collapse entirely, leaving retirees in poverty, businesses in bankruptcy and communities in crisis.

###

MEDIA CONTACT
Geneva Kropper | geneva.kropper@mail.house.gov | 202-849-0251