Young Supports Coronavirus Emergency Relief Package

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) today voted in favor of the Senate’s phase 3 coronavirus emergency relief package, known as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

“This emergency relief package is designed to help Hoosier families, workers, job creators, healthcare heroes on the front lines, patients, and everyone who has suffered through no fault of their own. Now that an agreement has been reached, we must immediately get this critical relief into the hands of people who need it most. This bill will provide direct funding to Hoosier households and bolster the state of Indiana’s response to this unprecedented public health crisis. In addition to providing economic relief, I’m hopeful this historic agreement will also help alleviate our nation’s anxiety. We are going to get through this by working together, and we are going to come out stronger,” said Senator Young.

Highlights of the CARES Act include:

• 2020 Recovery Rebate payments of $1,200 for rank-and-file Hoosiers subject to income limitations plus an additional $500 for each child under the age of 17.
• Indiana will receive a minimum of $1.25 billion to aid its response to the pandemic. Indianapolis will be eligible for additional direct funds as a result of its significant population size.
• $11 billion in funding to advance the manufacturing of vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and other medical needs of the American people.
• $16 billion to procure personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators, and other medical supplies for the strategic national stockpile.
• $100 billion to support hospitals and health care providers.
• Over $30 billion is allocated to help America’s agriculture industry continue to keep food in our stores and on our tables.
• Relaxation of rules for withdrawals from retirement accounts without penalty.
• Payroll tax credit for employers that retain their workers.
• $14.4 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs to respond to the increased demand for healthcare services at the VA. $2.1 billion for veterans to receive care in the community. And $606 million to upgrade VA Medical Facilities to better respond to pandemics.
• Rolls back regulations to allow veterans to use tele-health services to reduce the risk of leaving the house and being exposed to the virus.

Senator Young’s efforts helped to secure provisions that:

• Expand Medicare telehealth authorities to allow seniors to access a broader range of physicians and other providers from safety of their homes.
• Expand Medicare telehealth for home dialysis patients.
• Encourage the use of telecommunications systems for patients in home health.
• Allow Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics to furnish telehealth services.
• Increase access to post-acute care facilities, like long-term acute care hospitals.
• Address the high demand for qualified nurses in underserved areas by allowing nurses at health care facilities with critical nursing shortages to benefit from the NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program, regardless of the facility’s tax status. This provision was modeled off of Senator Young’s Nursing Where It’s Needed (WIN) Act.
• Increase funds for the Child Care and Development Block Grant that will keep child care providers in business and support access for working families – especially those in the health care workforce.
• Provide funding for resource partners to provide education, training, and advising to small businesses and employees on available federal assistance.
• Waive the affiliation rules for businesses in the hospitality and restaurant industries, franchises that are approved on the SBA’s Franchise Directory, and small businesses that receive financing through the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program.

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