Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia Announces Support for The Heroes Act, Releases New Details on Benefits for Texas and Local Communities & Counties

HOUSTON, TX – Today,Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia(TX-29) announced her support for The Heroes Act. This bill is the House Democrats' latest legislation to address the ongoing public health and economic crisis that has resulted from the coronavirus pandemic. This piece of legislation builds on efforts by House Democrats to put struggling families, small businesses, and essential workers first. It will provide additional funds for testing, tracing, and treatment measures, key support for essential workers, and strengthened assistance for the American people. Congresswoman Garcia also released a new detailed estimate of the direct benefits that The Heroes Act would provide to Texas and local communities, including Harris County, Houston, Pasadena, South Houston, Galena Park, and Jacinto City.

"Our communities, workers, and families in the Houston region and all across America urgently need more relief to address the ongoing coronavirus crisis," said Congresswoman Garcia. "At this very moment, many of our frontline heroes are at risk of losing their jobs as they care for us, too many small businesses are on the brink of having to permanently close their doors, and millions of Americans continue to lose their jobs while they struggle to pay their rent and put food on the table for their families. We must come together to pass The Heroes Act to protect Texas families and ensure that our frontline heroes, small businesses, and working families have the resources they need during this public health crisis."

The Heroes Act provides the Texas state government and local communities on the frontlines of this crisis with robust, desperately needed funding to cover coronavirus-related outlays and revenue loss and pay our health care workers, police, fire, transportation, EMS, teachers and other vital workers who are keeping us safe even as they are in danger of losing their jobs.

An analysis prepared by the Congressional Research Service estimates that The Heroes Act will provide $15.68 billion for FY 2020 and $19.74 billion for FY 2021 in state funding for the people of Texas, in addition to urgently needed funding for communities in the Texas 29th Congressional District:

• Harris County – $2.64 billion over two years
• Houston  – $1.77 billion over two years
• Pasadena – $123.18 million over two years
• South Houston – $8.68 million over two years
• Galena Park – $5.39 million over two years
• Jacinto City – $5.25 million over two years

The Heroes Act also includes a $90 billion fund to support state and local public education, including $9.24 billion for communities across the state of Texas. This funding will help maintain or restore state and local financial support for elementary, secondary and public higher education and can be used to meet a wide range of urgent needs, including summer learning, afterschool programs, distance learning, and emergency financial aid for college students as well as coordination with public health departments to reduce the spread of disease.

In addition to critical resources for our state, local, tribal and territorial governments, The Heroes Act provides transformative, far-reaching support to protect the lives and livelihoods of the American people and the life of our democracy by:

• Providing strong support for our heroes on the frontlines by establishing a $200 billion Heroes' fund to protect essential workers across the country and ensure they receive hazard pay.
• Committing another $75 billion for the testing, tracing, and treatment (the three Ts) we need to have a science-based approach to safely reopen our country and help ensure that every American will have access to free coronavirus treatment.
• Putting money in the pockets of workers with a second round of direct payments to families up to $6,000 per household, new payroll protection measures to keep 60 million workers connected with their jobs, and extending weekly $600 federal unemployment payments through January 2021.
• Supporting small businesses by strengthening the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) to ensure that it reaches underserved communities, minority and women-owned businesses, and nonprofits of all sizes and types. It also responds flexibly to small businesses by providing $10 billion for COVID-19 emergency grants through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.
• Ensuring further support for Texans and all Americans, including for:
  • Health security – with COBRA subsidies and a special enrollment period in the ACA exchanges for those without insurance.
  • Workplace security – requiring the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to ensure that all workplaces develop science-based infection mitigation plans to protect workers and prevent employers from retaliating against workers who report problems.
  • Housing security – with $175 billion in new support to keep the American people in their homes and assist renters and homeowners with making the monthly rent, mortgage, and utility payments and covering other housing-related costs.
  • Food security – with a 15 percent increase to the maximum SNAP benefit and additional funding for nutrition programs that will continue helping families put food on the table.  
• Defending ourdemocracy with new resources to secure our elections, ensure an accurate Census, and preserve the Postal Service.

"We cannot afford to wait while millions of families in the Houston region and across the country are struggling," continued Congresswoman Garcia. "We must do everything necessary now to provide much-needed relief and protect the health and well-being of every person in this country. That is why I am thrilled that The Heroes Act will also give direct relief to millions of ITIN users and U.S. citizen spouses and children who live in mixed-status families. We have a responsibility to act with the urgency this moment requires to help our families, small businesses, and heroic frontline workers. House Democrats are acting decisively to do just that."

###
Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2018, becoming the first Latina ever to represent the Texas 29th Congressional District. She serves on the House Judiciary and Financial Services Committees.