Federal COVID-19 Relief What is happening? Since the coronavirus hit the United States in late January of 2020, the global pandemic has triggered two major challenges for both the public and private sectors of the United States: o First, preventing the overall healthcare system from becoming overwhelmed due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 to the extent that the system is unable to adequately care for Americans; and o Second, ensuring that the American economy, businesses and workers are not irreparably damaged by public health policies to a degree that an economic crisis could match the potentially crippling effects of a public health crisis. While states and local governments, healthcare providers, and American businesses have been on the frontlines of both crises, the scale of this event has required extensive federal resources, authorities, and overarching guidance. This is the case in most national emergencies because, generally speaking, in times of national crisis local governments are forced to depend heavily upon the guidance and response of state governments which in turn depend heavily upon resources and authorities granted to them by federal agencies, Presidential declarations, and Congress. This situation has especially been the case with the coronavirus pandemic, because it has affected programs that are largely managed and funded federally, like unemployment benefits, healthcare plans and policies, and financial regulations. By March of 2020, policymakers realized the crisis was escalating and would require a significant and holistic response. Why was it necessary for Congress to get involved? Because the impacts of public health policies (social distancing and quarantining) have so rapidly changed the economic landscape of the United States and healthcare providers are in such need of supplies and personnel that the constraints of existing laws, federal regulations, and funding has threatened to prevent the United States from overcoming the crisis. Bottom line: this onetwo punch of a public health and economic crisis has threatened the stability of the United States to the extent that only Congress has enough authority and resources to intervene. What has Congress done? Congress began to enact emergency legislation in early March and has thus far enacted three significant pieces of legislation to provide temporary, emergency flexibility in the law, to provide federal agencies with additional authorities to help state and local governments, businesses, and workers, and to provide extensive resources to both the public and private sectors to protect America’s economic future. The below enclosed information highlights specific programs and funding that may be of interest to members and stakeholders of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce. It focuses heavily on the relief legislation most recently passed by Congress, the nearly $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or “CARES Act�, but will include elements of other coronavirus legislation as it relates to specific programs or funding.
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