West Wing Reads Trump Signs Coronavirus Aid Package with Paid Sick Leave, Free Testing

Trump Signs Coronavirus Aid Package with Paid Sick Leave, Free Testing “President Trump on Wednesday signed into law a multibillion-dollar emergency aid package aimed at helping Americans impacted by the coronavirus,” Morgan Chalfant reports in The Hill. The bipartisan measure, resulting from negotiations last week between the Trump Administration and Congress, “includes provisions offering paid leave benefits for Americans, bolstered unemployment benefits and free diagnostic testing for the virus.” Click here to read more. “Americans know how to rally against an enemy. Our nation was established on the principle that nothing can break us; no force is strong enough to withstand our undying fervor to preserve freedom and enjoy the lives that we choose to lead. Once again, Americans are coming together to defend the nation against a common threat,” Charlotte Pence Bond writes in The Washington Times. “In what can only be described as a moment of unconscious self-parody, the media pretended not to understand why Trump would refer to the virus in geographic terms—as if they’d never heard of the Spanish Flu, West Nile Virus, Ebola, Zika, Lyme Disease, or the many other diseases named for their places of origin. As if they haven’t been doing the same thing for months,” John Daniel Davidson writes in The Federalist. “Through a series of lies, blunders and cover-ups, the communist government of China has intensified the spread of the novel coronavirus . . . After decades of unethical trade practices and human rights violations, the coronavirus crisis should be the final straw against China's case for global leadership,” Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX) writes in Fox News.

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP IS SUPPORTING AMERICAN BUSINESSES, WORKERS, AND FAMILIES IMPACTED BY THE CORONAVIRUS

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 18, 2020 PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP IS SUPPORTING AMERICAN BUSINESSES, WORKERS, AND FAMILIES IMPACTED BY THE CORONAVIRUS “We reached an agreement yesterday on a new legislative package that will provide strong support for American families and communities in dealing with the coronavirus.” – President Donald J. Trump STRONG LEGISLATIVE ACTION: President Donald J. Trump is signing a legislative package that provides extensive assistance to Americans impacted by the coronavirus. Today, President Trump is signing the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, ensuring that American families and businesses impacted by the virus receive the strong support they need. This legislation provides strong economic assistance to American businesses, workers, and families, alleviating financial burdens experienced by those affected by the virus. The act provides free coronavirus diagnostic testing for the American people, regardless of their economic circumstances or health coverage. The President and his Administration have worked tirelessly with Congress to secure this legislative package. The Administration’s negotiation efforts were highly effective and resulted in substantial improvements from the initial bill brought by House Democrats. SUPPORTING BUSINESSES, WORKERS, AND FAMILIES: This package delivers on President Trump’s commitment to provide strong economic support to Americans harmed by the virus. This legislation builds on the Administration’s longstanding commitment to take every step necessary to provide economic relief and support for Americans affected by the virus. The act establishes tax credits to provide paid sick and family leave for coronavirus-related employment interruptions. Eligible workers who are sick with the virus, quarantined, taking care of someone affected or caring for a child whose school has closed, will continue to be paid. Employees will receive pay directly from their employers, rather than from a less-efficient government-run program. Though every dollar of required paid leave will be offset by tax credits for eligible employers, the act protects small businesses by offering an exemption in the rare event that paid leave requirements would jeopardize their business. The legislation incentivizes states to ease access to unemployment benefits, assisting Americans who may be unemployed due to the impact of the virus. To support families and the most vulnerable, the bill also provides funding and flexibility for emergency nutritional aid for senior citizens, women, children, and low-income families. TESTING FOR ALL AMERICANS: This legislation helps to realize President Trump’s primary goal of ensuring coronavirus testing is accessible to every American. The President is committed to ensuring that every American who needs to be tested for the coronavirus is able to do so, regardless of their circumstances. To that end, this legislation offers free coronavirus testing – including free testing through commercial insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, Indian Health Service, and TRI-CARE. President Trump continues to work tirelessly with the Federal government and the private sector to protect expand Americans’ access to coronavirus testing. As a result of the President’s efforts, testing is now available in all 50 states and we are testing faster than ever.

Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 18, 2020 TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE    March 18, 2020 Dear Madam Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:) In accordance with section 1706 of the Second Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 (division A of H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act; the "Act"), I hereby designate as emergency requirements all funding so designated by the Congress in the Act pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as outlined in the enclosed list of accounts. The details of this action are set forth in the enclosed memorandum from the Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget.                               Sincerely,                               DONALD J. TRUMP

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 18, 2020 STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT    Today, I have signed into law H.R. 6201, the "Families First Coronavirus Response Act" (the "Act").  The Act makes emergency supplemental appropriations and other changes to law to help the Nation respond to the coronavirus outbreak.    One provision of the bill (division B, section 2302(c)) purports to require the Secretary of Agriculture, upon certain events, to submit a report to the Congress that includes legislative recommendations.  My Administration, including the Secretary, will respectfully treat this provision in a manner consistent with Article II, section 3 of the Constitution, which provides the President the exclusive authority to "recommend" to the Congress "such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient."                               DONALD J. TRUMP   THE WHITE HOUSE,     March 18, 2020.

Bill Announcements

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 18, 2020

On Wednesday, March 18, 2020, the President signed into law:   H.R. 5214, the "Representative Payee Fraud Prevention Act of 2019," which establishes criminal penalties against representative payees for embezzling Federal retirement annuity benefits.   ### Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 18, 2020 On Wednesday, March 18, 2020, the President signed into law:   H.R. 6201, the "Families First Coronavirus Response Act," which provides for supplemental appropriations related to the COVID-19 public health emergency, as well as waivers and modifications of Federal nutrition programs, employment-related protections and benefits, health programs and insurance coverage requirements, and related tax credits during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Eight Nominations and One Withdrawal Sent to the Senate

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 18, 2020

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:      Aditya Bamzai, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board for a term expiring January 29, 2026.    (Reappointment)      Rick A. Dearborn, of Oklahoma, to be a Director of the Amtrak Board of Directors for a term of five years, vice Jeffrey R. Moreland, term expired.      Brett P. Giroir, of Texas, to be Representative of the United States on the Executive Board of the World Health Organization, vice Thomas Frieden.      Hala Y. Jarbou, of Michigan, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Michigan, vice Robert Holmes Bell, retired.      Michael P. O'Rielly, of New York, to be a Member of the Federal Communications Commission for a term of five years from July 1, 2019.  (Reappointment)      Carlos Trujillo, of Florida, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Western Hemisphere Affairs), vice Kimberly Breier, resigned.      Carlos Trujillo, of Florida, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation for a term expiring September 20, 2024, vice J. Kelly Ryan, term expired.      Kenneth R. Weinstein, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Japan. WITHDRAWAL SENT TO THE SENATE:      David Carey Woll, Jr., of Connecticut, to be an Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, vice Neal J. Rackleff, which was sent to the Senate on August 1, 2019.   ###