The House of Representatives passed an updated version of the Heroes Act. United States Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) voted in favor of the $2.2 trillion legislation to bring immediate relief to American families, essential workers, small businesses, and state and local governments in Missouri and across the nation.

In May, the House of Representatives passed a previous version of the Heroes Act, which would have provided over $3 trillion in relief to workers, families, small businesses, state and local governments and more. In a good-faith effort to negotiate a bipartisan, bicameral agreement, the House of Representatives has re-introduced a scaled-down version of the Heroes Act, shaving over $1 trillion off of the original proposal.

“While the Senate Majority Leader continues to sit on his hands as the American people struggle to make ends meet, the House of Representatives has demonstrated our commitment to bringing meaningful relief to the public,” said Congressman Cleaver. “This legislation provides desperately-needed funding to support essential workers and small businesses, ensure health care coverage, reopen our schools, restore unemployment benefits, strengthen housing assistance, and so much more. It’s time for the Senate GOP to end the political brinksmanship and pass this stimulus package.”

An analysis using data from the Congressional Research Service, Census Bureau, and HUD estimates the updated Heroes Act would award approximately $3.75 billion in state funding for the people of Missouri, in addition to critically-needed funding for municipalities in the Fifth Congressional District of Missouri. Estimated funding for these municipalities include:

  • Kansas City – $241,404,825;
  • Jackson County – $189,443,434;
  • Clay County – $67,354,576;
  • Independence – $30,869,318;
  • Lee’s Summit – $26,231,198;
  • Blue Springs – $14,547,983;
  • Lafayette County – $8,813,967;
  • Raytown – $6,832,420;
  • Ray County – $6,202,761;
  • Saline County – $ 6,133,506;
  • Marshall – $3,047,995;
  • Richmond – $1,327,695;
  • Odessa – $1,225,891;
  • Lexington – $1,069,178.

The revamped Heroes Act also addresses challenges that have arisen since the House of Representative first acted in May, including:

  • Additional funding to strengthen education and child care, with $225 billion for education—including $182 billion for K-12 schools and nearly $39 billion for postsecondary education—and $57 billion to support child care for families.
  • Stronger, targeted support for small businesses, by improving the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to serve truly small businesses and struggling nonprofits, providing hardest-hit businesses with secondary loans, and delivering direct assistance for the struggling restaurant industry.
  • Further Aid For Airline Workers, by extending the highly successful Payroll Support Program to keep airline workers paid.

Additionally, the Heroes Act now includes the Save Our Stages Act, a bill cosponsored by Congressman Cleaver. The legislation would provide targeted relief to independent entertainment venues, which have been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting shutdown of businesses. Considering independent entertainment venues contribute significant economic benefits to Kansas City, Congressman Cleaver has been strongly advocating for this kind of targeted assistance since May.

The Heroes Act also maintains critical priorities from the previous version passed 4 months ago. Some of the most notable provisions would:

  • Honor our frontline heroes by providing $436 billion in assistance to state, local, territorial, and tribal governments whose budgets have been devastated by the pandemic and need additional funding to keep frontline workers like teachers, first responders, health workers, and others on payroll;
  • Support testing, tracing and treatment through $75 billion for COVID-19 testing, contact tracing and isolation measures, including special attention to the disparities facing communities of color, ensuring every American can access free COVID-19 treatment, and supporting hospitals and providers. It would also include $28 billion for procurement, distribution and education campaigns for a safe and effective vaccine;
  • Provide another round of direct payments to help American families cushion the blow of the coronavirus crisis, including $1,200 per taxpayer and $500 per dependent;
  • Bolster housing assistance by administering tens of billions of dollars to assist renters and homeowners to make monthly rent, mortgage and utility payments;
  • Restore unemployment benefits, ensuring weekly $600 federal unemployment payments through next January and preventing unemployed workers from exhausting their eligibility, giving a vital safety net to the record number of Americans who are unemployed due to COVID-19;
  • Strengthen food security by increasing the maximum SNAP benefit by 15 percent and providing additional funding for nutrition programs that help families keep food on the table;
  • Protect American farmers and producers impacted by the coronavirus crisis through targeted support programs;
  • Safeguard our democracy with additional resources to ensure safe elections, an accurate Census, and preservation of the U.S. Postal Service.

“As every legitimate economist has clearly stated: This is a crisis. Failure to provide critically-needed stimulus will only further exacerbate the recession we’re facing and make the road to recovery harder for working class Americans. I plead with my Republican colleagues in the Senate, stop being partisan, think with your heart again, and pass the Heroes Act for the people,” said Congressman Cleaver.

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