This week, the House will continue work on a standalone bill for COVID-19 funding, the COVID Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R. 7007). “We will have, hopefully, compromise funding for this effort, and we will get this passed in the near term,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD). Republicans continue to ask for a complete account of the original COVID dollars. Originally poised to add $15 billion in COVID-19 money to the $1.5 trillion omnibus spending package, the House removed the funding following concerns among Democrats about the offsets used to cover the boost. This change prompted lawmakers to attempt to pass COVID funds in a standalone package, but chances of passage seem low currently. The Biden Administration commented on the removal of the funds, saying “failing to take action now will have severe consequences for the American people.”
March 11 marked the one-year anniversary of President Biden’s signing of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act. The ARP is a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief law providing emergency assistance during the pandemic. Funds within the ARP include significant money to state and local governments, unemployment assistance, rental and homeowner assistance, testing and vaccinations, & aid to schools and businesses. During their Democratic Caucus retreat, President Biden told attendees, “Few pieces of legislation, no hyperbole in American history have done more to lift this country out of a crisis than what you did.” Some have criticized the plan and believe it is a chief cause of inflation.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) decided to extend the mask mandate for public transportation, including planes, buses, and trains, until April 18. The renewal marks the third extension to the requirement and comes as many masking standards and regulations have ended. Many believe this extension will allow the TSA to coordinate a new plan with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC recently announced a shift in their guidance, saying most Americans don’t need to wear a mask indoors.
Capitol Hill
On Tuesday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee marked up and passed, by a vote of 20-2, the Prepare for and Respond to Existing Viruses, Emerging New Threats, and Pandemics Act (PREVENT Pandemics Act; S. 3799). The sweeping package includes provisions that range from increasing the supply chain of masks, medicines, vaccines, and other medical countermeasures, to mental health provisions, to improving the biomedical workforce and countering misinformation. HELP Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) said the package culminates almost a year of work and incorporates 37 bills and input from 33 members. The bill offers changes that primarily affect the CDC and HHS’ Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. It would make the CDC more accountable to Congress by requiring Senate confirmation of the agency’s director and annual appearances before the committee. The measure would set up a task force to assess U.S. preparedness for public health threats and create an independent COVID-19 task force to identify breakdowns in the U.S. response. The bill also would create a “mission control” to coordinate the federal response to outbreaks with a new White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy.
The HELP Committee also adopted a slate of bipartisan amendments, including steps to beef up domestic manufacturing of antibiotics, help for rural providers, and a tribal set-aside in a grant program to assess “social determinants of health” such as access to fresh food. The Committee also adopted in a 12-10 vote an amendment by Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to help address a nursing shortage by doubling funding for a nursing corps program out of the Health Resources and Services Administration. While the measure advanced Tuesday would authorize some new funding that could be approved by Congress through the annual appropriations process, it does not directly include major new funding.
The House Oversight Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis held a roundtable on “Moving Beyond the Coronavirus Crisis: Perspectives from Public Health Experts” to discuss the current phase of the pandemic, the ongoing level of risk posed by the coronavirus, and what must be done to keep all Americans safe two years after the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic. The next hearing, on “Moving Beyond the Coronavirus Crisis: The Biden Administration’s Progress in Combating the Pandemic and Plan for the Next Phase” will be held at 10am ET on Wednesday, March 30 with CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn O’Connell, and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who will “address the progress made in combating the coronavirus and explain how the Administration’s National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan will protect against and treat the coronavirus, prepare for new variants, prevent economic and educational shutdowns, and allow the U.S. to continue to lead global vaccination efforts.”
Administration
The White House released a fact sheet on the consequences of Congress not passing additional funding for vaccines, booster shots, treatments, tests, and high-quality masks. Treasury released a fact sheet on the impact of the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) and a state-by-state analysis of tax relief provided under Covid-related legislation.
The Administration is launching the Clean Air in Buildings Challenge, calling on all building owners and operators, schools, colleges and universities, and organizations of all kinds to adopt key strategies to improve indoor air quality in their buildings and reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Schools with mandatory masking during the Delta surge had approximately 72% fewer cases of in-school transmission of Covid when compared to schools with optional or partial masking policies, according to a study funded by NIH. The study included more than 1.1 million students and over 157,000 staff attending in-person school across nine states.
SBA provided additional deferment of principal and interest payments for existing Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program borrowers for a total of 30 months deferment from inception on all approved COVID EIDL loans. The extended deferment period will provide additional flexibility to small business owners impacted by the pandemic, especially those in hard-hit sectors managing disruption with recent variants, as well as recent supply chain and inflation challenges amid a growing economic recovery.
HUD announced $70 million in Indian Community Development Block Grant-American Rescue Plan grants to 49 Tribal communities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
HUD announced $2.4 million in American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funding to help 11 HUD Fair Housing Initiatives Program agencies combat housing discrimination related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds focus on the unequal impact that the pandemic has had on communities of color, low-income communities, and other vulnerable populations.
USDA is accepting grant applications for the ARPA Technical Assistance Investment Program to provide historically underserved farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners technical support in accessing USDA programs and services.
OSHA announced the availability of $3.2 million in ARPA funds for workplace safety and health training on infectious diseases, including COVID-19 grants. The grants will cover training and education to help workers and employers identify and prevent work-related infectious diseases, including COVID-19. The maximum awarded for each grant is $160,000 for a 12-month performance period.
The FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau will implement additional measures to strengthen program integrity surrounding the enrollment of households in the Affordable Connectivity Program who also qualify for the Lifeline benefit.
A North Carolina man was sentenced to 20 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining over $1.7 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans guaranteed by the SBA under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Also, a California man pled guilty to stealing $57,591 COVID-19 relief funds and faces up to 10 years in prison for each count.
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Pfizer and BioNTech asked the FDA for emergency use authorization for a second booster shot of their coronavirus vaccine for adults aged 65 and older. The companies cited emerging evidence the vaccine’s effectiveness against symptomatic infection and severe disease caused by the omicron variant wanes three to six months after receipt of an initial booster dose. As a result, the companies said a second booster administered at least four months after an initial booster dose could restore antibody levels to peak post-third dose level.
Americans can order more free at-home COVID-19 tests from the U.S. government at COVIDtests.gov to be shipped to their homes, the White House announced this week. Each household can order a total of eight tests. If you ordered four in January when the program launched, you are eligible to order a second batch of four more. President Biden announced the action during his State of the Union address.
London’s Heathrow Airport, the largest airport in the United Kingdom, will no longer require travelers to wear face masks while traveling. The airport will instead recommend that passengers wear face masks. The airport said that if infections rise again or a new variant of concern emerges, it may once again implement face mask requirements throughout its facilities. In addition to Heathrow Airport, British Airways has said it will no longer mandate masking on board its flights. Starting this week, unless the destination mandates face masks in flight, the airline will not require passengers to wear them.
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Webinars, Events and Resources |
Beyond ARPA: Forecasting Federal Resources for Rebuilding, Restoration, and Resilience
ICMA
March 29, 1:00 PM ET
GAO Reports
CRS Reports
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