Gallagher: This is About Survival, Not Stimulus

Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) today released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 748, the CARES Act, which provides more than $2 trillion in economic relief to combat the Coronavirus outbreak.

“The coronavirus poses an unprecedented challenge to our health and our way of life, and requires immediate action and coordination across the state, local, and federal levels. What we face is first and foremost a public health crisis, and our primary goal must be to get this disease under control. Until we do so, there’s no amount of federal dollars that will allow us to keep our economy shut down indefinitely. Recognizing this, the CARES Act surges badly needed resources to the hospital systems, healthcare workers, and first responders on the frontlines of this fight. It devotes billions of dollars towards testing and other critical supplies, and builds on the bipartisan efforts I’ve led alongside my colleagues to ensure states like Wisconsin have the resources they need to defeat this disease. 

“But that’s not to say we can ignore the significant economic damage that this virus has caused. Throughout these negotiations, I’ve maintained that a primary focus of this bill must be the small businesses and hardworking families that have been forced to upend their livelihoods to help slow the spread. Fortunately, this bill gets cash immediately into the hands of those who need it most, both through one-time cash payments to hardworking families and expedited loans — that may be forgiven in some circumstances — to small businesses.

“Make no mistake, this bill is not perfect. Aside from the fact some of my colleagues used this crisis to fund unrelated priorities, there are legitimate questions surrounding the expansion of certain unemployment provisions and there are bound to be unintended consequences given the size of the bill and the speed at which it rightly moved in response to this crisis. But ultimately, this bill is about survival, not stimulus, and the need for action outweighs all else. This is not over, and it is my hope these resources will buy us time to control the disease and figure out how we can smartly — and safely — address these twin crises, get healthy, and get our economy moving again. America has overcome tougher challenges before, and standing united, we will overcome the current moment and move forward--together.”

The bill includes a number of provisions that help Northeast Wisconsin families and small businesses, including:

• More than $100 billion for hospitals and healthcare providers, including $27 billion for research on tests, treatments, medical supplies and PPE
• One-time tax rebate checks of $1,200 for individuals, $2,400 for couples, and $500 child set to phase out completely at $99,000 for individuals and $198,000 for married couples.
• Expanded unemployment insurance to cover gig workers and self-employed.
• A paycheck protection program of $350 billion in loans to small businesses with less than 500 employees to meet 8 weeks of cash-flow assistance via 100% federally-guaranteed loans which could be forgiven if employers maintain their payroll during the covered period.

ICYMI:

Earlier this week, Rep. Gallagher outlined in the Wisconsin State Journal why it’s critical Wisconsinites use resources like those provided in H.R. 748 to control the spread of coronavirus and develop a plan for how Wisconsin can smartly and safely begin to re-open our economy.

Rep. Gallagher has also worked around the clock to get Wisconsin hospitals the supplies they need to combat this crisis. He has joined his Wisconsin colleagues in calling on the Department of Defense, Food and Drug Administration, and Department of Health and Human Services to do all they can to get critical supplies like masks, ventilators, and reagent to Wisconsin.