Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) sent a letter to Senate Majority Mitch McConnell Monday urging him to pass the HEROES Act, which is a $ 3 trillion bill aimed at helping Americans affected by the coronavirus.
“On Friday, The House of Representatives acted by passing the Heroes Act, a bold legislative package that responds to the challenges this pandemic poses to our nation,” he said. “Americans are depending on their Representatives and Senators to take swift and immediate action to bring relief. I write today to urge you to immediately bring up the Heroes Act for consideration in the Senate.”
Last week, Ryan said that if Republicans do not act, they are turning their backs on the American people.
“Four million people didn’t pay their rent, and the Republican Party says we don’t have any money to help you,” the representative said. “Are you kidding me? Where do you guys live?”
In his letter, Ryan described the House Democrat bill as extending the loan forgiveness deadline for borrowers from 8 weeks to 24 weeks, giving state and local governments nearly $1 trillion in aid and doing federal unemployment paychecks until January 2021.
Ryan concluded his letter about the “bold legislative proposal” by asking McConnell if he is ready to take action.
“This is not a time to hit pause on our congressional duties. Our small businesses, our states and local governments, and ultimately, the American people are depending on Congress to take immediate action to bring relief,” he said. “The House has acted, now will you?”
If the #HEROESAct is a wishlist, it's a wishlist for the working-class. pic.twitter.com/MbjRTSFQHv
— Congressman Tim Ryan (@RepTimRyan) May 15, 2020
Even as Ryan tried to highlight certain aspects of the HEROES Act, he forgot to mention many other proposals included in the 1,815-page document.
Some of the things omitted from his letter include helping illegal immigrants and intruding in state elections.
The two ways this bill would help illegal immigrants is by giving them access to a stimulus fund and granting amnesty to the vast majority of people here illegally.
If this bill passes, illegal immigrants would be eligible for a $1,200 paycheck. As for amnesty, the Center for Illegal Immigration said that the main benefactors of this policy will be illegals who have “done some really bad things.” Illegal immigrants who would be allowed to stay would be ones who are working in “essential critical infrastructure labor or services” during the coronavirus pandemic.
The piece of legislation lists off almost 16 pages of things that qualify under this category.
When it comes to elections, the HEROES Act wants all states to provide absentee ballots, eliminate the need to show identification to receive absentee ballots and create vote by mail rules.
The odds of this bill passing the Senate are slim. Last week, Mitch McConnell said this bill was a “parade of absurdities,” according to Reuters.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Star News Digital Media. If you have any tips, email Zachery at [email protected].
Photo “Tim Ryan” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.
