House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday unveiled a $3 trillion bill aimed at continuing the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic which, in addition to a variety of stimulus payments, state and local government aid, and additional federal agency spending, seeks to provide frontline federal workers with hazard pay and expands other protections for employees.
Although the White House and Senate Republicans have balked at considering another round of COVID-19 response legislation in recent days, Pelosi said lawmakers must act now if the country is to successfully navigate the crisis.
“We must think big for the people now, because if we don’t, it will cost more in lives and livelihood later,” she said. “Not acting is the most expensive course. So we’re presenting a plan to do what is necessary to deal with the crisis and make sure we can get the country back to work and to school safely.”
The Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (H.R. 6800) contains a number of provisions improving benefits and protections for federal employees working remotely and those continuing to report to their normal worksites to combat the pandemic.
First, the bill provides hazard pay, long demanded by federal employee groups and Democratic lawmakers, to federal and private sector workers alike whose jobs cannot be done via telework and require interaction with the public in some form. The so-called Heroes Fund would provide agencies and private employers with money to pay essential workers an extra $13 per hour, up to $10,000 in most cases, over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, retroactive to Jan. 27. Essential workers who already make at least $200,000 would only be eligible for up to $5,000 in premium pay.< ..
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