"For the last 6-7 months, I have joined with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats in pushing for the Senate to vote on the HEROES Act. This legislation would extend the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program that we created when we first passed the CARES Act in March. The PUA made it possible to offer unemployment assistance that would have traditionally not been available to independent contractors and other gig economy workers.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell continues to delay any action on pandemic relief, lowering the amount he wants to see in any legislation. House Democrats held a second vote on the HEROES Act, bringing down the overall cost of the bill to an amount closer to Republican demands. However, since then, the Senate has failed to take any action. House Democrats continue to push for a relief package but Senate Majority Leader McConnell is yet to endorse the framework agreed to by Senators Romney, Collins, and Speaker Pelosi.
We know that as this pandemic continues to surge, so many more Americans need this critical assistance. I know that Illinois continues to be one of the hardest hit and I am working with my colleagues to ensure that we not only have an extension of the PUA and unemployment benefits in general, but also direct stimulus payments to working Americans and assistance to restaurants, live-entertainment venues and other small businesses that are being hardest hit. Regardless of what happens in December, we know that in the Biden Administration that begins on January 20th, working families will be the priority.
