U.S. House Passes Massive Additional COVID-19 Relief Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed the "Heroes Act", a massive additional COVID-19 relief bill, by a vote of 208 to 199. The bill, which was introduced by the House Democratic leadership, is a more than $3 trillion package aiming to continue to address the coronavirus pandemic through additional investments in testing, tracing, and treatment, while also providing funding for state and local governments.

The legislation is the fifth piece of legislation that the House has passed to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The four bills that Congress has enacted into law include:

The majority leadership in the Senate and Administration officials have expressed concerns with the overall size of the package, stating that they prefer to wait and see how existing aid passed by Congress helps improve the current situation caused by the pandemic. However, it is expected that both chambers will continue to negotiate terms for a fifth package of coronavirus relief.

Some key provisions of the Heroes Act that would directly impact the northeast and midwest states include:

Additional direct payments to American families that could include up to $1,200 per individual and $6,000 per family.

Additional details about the Heroes Act can be found here.

Great Lakes Stakeholders Call on Congress to Include Great Lakes Priorities in COVID-19 Relief

A group of key Great Lakes stakeholder organizations representing Great Lakes states, tribes, bi-national agencies, state legislators, municipalities, conservation organizations, labor, businesses, and ports sent Congress a letter last week urging the inclusion of critical Great Lakes investments in legislation to stimulate economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.  

Key asks in the letter included increased investments in water infrastructure to protect drinking water and public health; increased resources to help communities respond to high lake levels and climate impacts; initiatives to strengthen the Great Lakes navigation system; and accelerated funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to implement ready to launch cleanup projects that will spur economic development in coastal communities. 

Organizations which sign ed onto the letter included: the Great Lakes Commission, Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority, American Great Lakes Ports Association, Great Lakes Metro Chambers Coalition,  Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Legislative Caucus , and BlueGreen Alliance. 

A copy of the letter can be viewed here .

AMCC Webinar Addresses PPE Needs and Presents Model for Improved Manufacturing

A webinar on Thursday sponsored by the American Manufacturing Communities (AMCC), with which NEMWI is affiliated, presented a new model for projecting state and community needs for personal protective equipment (PPE) and how manufacturing can better meet this need.

Rich Trong and Bharat Shyam, former Microsoft engineers, presented a new model for assessing individual state needs for PPE that has the potential to significantly improve the capacity for estimating the need for PPE in varying communities and under varying circumstances. 

Also presenting were Theresa A. Foxley, President/CEO, Economic Development Corporation of Utah, who discussed the impact this model has had on manufacturing in Utah, and Sarah Lee, Governor's Sector Lead and Director of Advanced Manufacturing, Office of Economic Development & Competitiveness, Washington State Department of Commerce, who discussed the impact of the model in Washington.  

To listen to the full webinar, click here.

Coronavirus Crisis Causing Major Revenue Shortfalls in States, Cities

There is increasing media attention to the devastating impact that the continuing coronavirus crisis is having in creating major revenue shortfalls in states and cities nationwide.  The Northeast-Midwest Institute released a concept paper on April 13 highlighting the urgent need for federal action to replace non-recoverable state and local revenue shortfalls resulting from COMID-19 mitigation initiatives, which is available here.

Governors, mayors, and local officials are sounding increasingly dire alarms that they are confronting major revenue gaps due to business closures and unemployment, and that these revenue shortfalls are projected to grow in the months ahead.

An updated selection of news articles reporting these state and local revenue gaps and the need for major federal support follows:

As Virus Ravages Budgets, States Cut and Borrow for Balance

An Economic Update by Fed Chair Jerome H. Powell  

Pelosi points to $1 trillion need for state and local governments in next coronavirus bill  

Massive Layoffs in cities and states begin amid coronavirus fallout

McConnell's rejection of federal aid for states risks causing a depression

Cities and states brace for economic 'reckoning,' eyeing major cuts and fearing federal coronavirus aid isn't enough

Maryland may face $2.8B revenue drop, Gov. Hogan says. Hiring, spending freeze in effect  

States Are in a Quandary as Taxes Evaporate and Virus Spending Soars

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