Commentary: U.S. House Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement on the House passage of the new Heroes Act to support families and small businesses, bolster COVID-19 testing and contact tracing, and provide much-needed relief to local, state, and Tribal governments:
“In the nearly 150 days since the House passed the original Heroes Act, I have heard from tens of thousands of New Mexicans calling for additional relief for their families, small businesses, hospitals, and schools. They witnessed as America surpassed 205,000 deaths from the coronavirus while Mitch McConnell refused to allow a vote on this legislation.
“New Mexicans are counting on the Senate to follow the House’s lead and pass a strong relief package like the new Heroes Act because it would mean funding to protect public health, more support for families and small businesses, and much-needed aid for local, state, and Tribal governments to continue essential services. I urge Mitch McConnell to act with the same urgency on additional COVID-19 relief as he has with ramming through a Supreme Court nominee.”
The new Heroes Act includes the following provisions championed by Assistant Speaker Luján:
- $436 billion to help state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments keep employees on the payroll, offset revenue shortfalls, and continue essential services, with over $2.7 billion to New Mexico;
- A measure that would improve access to quality health care in rural and underserved areas by expanding telementoring similar to that developed by the University of New Mexico’s Project ECHO;
- Language to make Tribal libraries and Tribal anchor institutions eligible for E-rate to purchase hotspots and connected devices for students;
- Language based on his Native American Voting Rights Act, introduced with U.S. Senator Tom Udall, to protect access to the ballot for Native American voters.
The new Heroes Act would also:
- Provide a second $1,200 direct payment per taxpayer and $500 per dependent, and restore the weekly $600 in enhanced federal unemployment benefits for those who are unemployed through no fault of their own;
- Improve the Paycheck Protection Program to serve the smallest businesses and struggling non-profits, forgive loans under $150,000, provide hard-hit businesses with second loans, and deliver assistance for the struggling restaurant industry and independent live venue operators;
- Provide $225 billion to bolster education and childcare, including $182 billion for K-12 schools and nearly $39 billion for postsecondary education, and $57 billion to support child care for families;
- Provide $75 billion for coronavirus testing, contact tracing, and isolation measures and $28 billion for procurement, distribution, and education campaigns for a safe and effective vaccine;
- Provide $2.6 billion for grants to rural electric co-ops that are Rural Utilities Service electric borrowers to support or expand delivery of crucial services.