美国众议院周五勉强通过立法，再拨款3万亿美元对抗冠状病毒大流行的经济影响。
但是大多数党派都同意，英雄法案很大程度上是民主党的一个信息法案，不会以现在的形式在共和党控制的参议院中推进。对于过去两个月里申请失业救济的3600多万美国人来说，未来的救济何时到来——或者是否到来——还有待观察。
国会山的共和党人主张在赤字飙升的情况下暂停发放更多资金。尽管特朗普政府中的一些人，如美联储主席杰罗姆·鲍威尔(Jerome Powell)，警告称可能需要采取更多行动，以避免对一度繁荣、如今处于大萧条时期的经济造成持久的经济伤害。鲍威尔本周表示，这“可能代价高昂”，但如果它有助于避免长期损害，并为我们带来更强劲的复苏，则是值得的
尽管如此，参议院多数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔(共和党)。)周四，福克斯新闻称《英雄法案》是“一场荒谬的游行，很难认真对待。”周五在众议院，众议员弗吉尼亚·福克斯称之为“社会主义愿望清单”自大流行爆发以来，立法者已经批准了大约3万亿美元的联邦援助，不包括周五的立法费用。
这份1800页的法案以208票对199票勉强通过，14名民主党人和一名共和党人跨越了党派界限。
5月15日，DC首都华盛顿，在冠状病毒大流行期间，众议院议长南希·佩洛西离开美国国会众议院。
一揽子计划包括一个详尽的项目清单，最突出的是第二轮个人1200美元的支票和高达6000美元的家庭支票；1万亿美元的州和地方援助；增加600美元的联邦失业救济金；价值2000亿美元的基本工人危险津贴；以及1750亿美元的租金、抵押贷款和公用事业减免。
“我们暂停一下吧？你认为这种病毒会暂停吗？你认为租金会暂停吗？你认为把食物放在桌子上，或者如果你做不到，就会出现饥饿，需要暂停一下吗？”众议院议长南希·佩洛西(加利福尼亚州)在地板上说。“失去工作的艰难并不需要停顿，或者，不幸的是，失去心爱的人并不需要停顿...我们不会在战斗中停下来结束这一切。”
该计划还包括750亿美元用于增加检测、接触者追踪和治疗；为小企业提供100亿美元的紧急赠款；《平价医疗法》的特殊注册期；食品券上涨15 %;以及为11月的选举和美国邮政服务提供额外的邮件投票资源。
但是在这3万亿美元的立法中，共和党人——甚至一些民主党人——都考虑了一些项目与大流行无关比如针对大麻产业的措施，对游说者的援助，以及取消州和地方税收减免上限(被称为SALT)，这极大地造福了富人。
众议院少数党领袖凯文·麦卡锡告诉记者:“在[·佩洛西的《英雄法案》中，她继续努力争取尽可能多的民主党人投票支持，重点是他们在COVID存在之前就梦想的法案。”。“这是她自己的梦想，她对自己的政党持自由主义观点，任何一方都不知道自己将一事无成。”
事实上，民主党的领导没有与共和党或白宫协商。14名民主党人，其中大多数是摇摆地区的温和派，选择了抵制聚会穿过过道投票反对该法案。
但是一个共和党人背叛了他的政党:纽约州的彼得·金。
众议院议长南希·佩洛西3月12日在DC华盛顿州美国国会大厦雷伯恩厅举行的爱尔兰之友年度午餐会后，与众议员彼得·金握手。
“我不会离开派对的。我只是在做我认为对我的选区、州和国家至关重要的事情，”这位即将退休的议员告诉记者新闻周刊引用国家和地方援助作为最重要的组成部分。“我反对里面90%的无关紧要的东西。但这是获得州和地方资助给参议院的唯一途径。我不信任麦康奈尔。”
上月，当肯塔基共和党人建议各州可能需要破产而不是联邦政府提供更多援助时，麦康奈尔受到了金的严厉批评。
麦卡锡拒绝了金对该法案的支持，他称之为“愿望清单”
“这救不了纽约，”麦卡锡说。“这无助于国家本身。”
HOUSE DEMOCRATS NARROWLY PASS ANOTHER MASSIVE STIMULUS WORTH $3 TRILLION
The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday narrowly passed legislation to appropriate another $3 trillion to combat the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
But approved along mostly party lines, the HEROES Act is largely a messaging bill from Democrats that will not advance in the GOP-controlled Senate in its current form. It remains to be seen when—or if—future relief will come for the more than 36 million Americans who have filed for unemployment benefits in the past two months.
Republicans on Capitol Hill have advocated for a "pause" in dolling out more money amid skyrocketing deficits. This despite some in the Trump administration, such as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, warning more action may be needed to avoid lasting economic harm to a once-booming economy that is now in Depression-era status. It "could be costly," Powell said this week, "but worth it if it helps avoid long-term damage and leaves us with a stronger recovery."
Still, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Fox News Thursday labeled the HEROES Act a "parade of absurdities that can hardly be taken seriously." On the House floor Friday, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) called it a "socialist wish list." Lawmakers have already approved roughly $3 trillion in federal assistance since the onset of the pandemic, not including the cost of Friday's legislation.
The 1,800-page bill narrowly passed 208-199, with 14 Democrats and one Republican crossing party lines.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi exits the House Chamber of the US Capitol amid the coronavirus pandemic on May 15 in Washington, DC.
The package includes an exhaustive list of items, most prominently a second round of $1,200 checks for individuals and up to $6,000 for families; $1 trillion in state and local aid; an expansion of the $600 federal unemployment payments; hazard pay for essential workers worth $200 billion; and $175 billion in rent, mortgage and utility relief.
"Let's take a 'pause'? Do you think this virus is taking a pause? Do you think that the rent takes a pause? Do you think that putting food on the table, or the hunger that comes if you can't, takes a pause?" House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said on the floor. "The hardship of losing a job doesn't take a pause or, tragically, losing a loved one doesn't take a pause... We don't end this by pausing in the fight."
The package also includes $75 billion to increase testing, contact tracing and treatment; $10 billion of emergency grants for small businesses; a special enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act; a 15 percent boost to food stamps; and additional resources for vote-by-mail for the November elections and the U.S. Postal Service.
But within the $3 trillion piece of legislation were items that Republicans—and even some Democrats—considered unrelated to the pandemic, such as measures for the marijuana industry, aid for lobbyists and the repeal of a cap on deductions for state and local taxes (known as SALT) that overwhelmingly benefits the wealthy.
"Inside [Pelosi's] HEROES Act, which she continues to twist arms to try to get as many Democrats as she can to vote for, the focus is on bills they dreamed of before COVID even existed," House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters. "It is her own dream with a liberal view of her party with no input from either side knowing that it's going nowhere."
Indeed, Democratic House leadership did not consult with Republicans or the White House. And 14 Democrats, most of whom were moderates in swing districts, chose to buck the party and cross the aisle to vote against the bill.
But one Republican defected from his party: Peter King of New York.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) touches elbows with Rep. Peter King (R-NY) (R) after the annual Friends of Ireland luncheon at the Rayburn Room of U.S. Capitol March 12 in Washington, DC.
"I'm not breaking from the party. I'm just doing what I think is essential for my district, the state and the country," the retiring lawmaker told Newsweek, citing the state and local aid as the most crucial component. "I'm opposed to 90 percent of extraneous matters in there. But this is the only vehicle to get state and local funding to the Senate. I don't trust McConnell."
McConnell drew scathing criticism from King last month when the Kentucky Republican suggested states may need to go bankrupt rather than the federal government providing more aid.
McCarthy pushed back on King's support for the legislation, which he's labeled a "wish list."
"This will not save New York," McCarthy said. "It will not help the country itself."
