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“Back to Work” Bill Garners Bipartisan Support
After weeks of doom and gloom, a bipartisan group of legislators is putting forward a plan to get the American economy back on track.
Over 50 House members crafted a plan to reopen the economy safely after the pandemic subsides. The so-called Problem Solvers Caucus (PSC) is divided evenly between Democrats and Republicans. So, the group’s political agenda is uncharacteristically balanced. The PSC plan sets specific policies for public health, economic recovery, and government stimulus. The bipartisan group of lawmakers hopes that Congress and the Trump administration will support the plan. They hope this helps so that the U.S. economy can awaken safely from its pandemic-induced hibernation.
This is not the time to leave any American behind. Our bipartisan Back to Work recovery plan is what the nation needs to combat #COVID19 right now and in the months to come. Read more here⬇️https://t.co/Ku5s85OKLB
— Rep. Susie Lee (@RepSusieLee) April 20, 2020
The Bipartisan Group's Checklist
On Monday, the group will release its “Back to Work” checklist, and the plan could set the stage for the next phase of coronavirus relief. PSC co-chair, Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY), stressed the importance of bipartisan unity during this time of crisis. “If you’re sincere and you want to put partisan politics aside … you can actually roll up your sleeves and you can find some common ground that makes a lot of good common sense,” Reed said in a statement to Fox News.
The PSC plan comes just one week after President Trump outlined his three-phase approach to rebooting the economy. However, Trump’s plan unsurprisingly faced criticism from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the left-wing Trump trolls. The critics say the White House plan is too vague and doesn’t put enough emphasis on testing and contact tracing. The PSC checklist could be a tolerable alternative for the disagreeable Democrats, who are reluctant to endorse anything with the president’s name attached to it.
Testing For Coronavirus
Widespread deployment of COVID-19 testing is at the top of the PSC’s wishlist. Early reports indicate that the bipartisan group is calling for five times as much testing than is currently available. The PSC checklist also wants the federal government to establish a contact tracing database. The government already uses a similar system to track measles, so transitioning the technology to COVID-19 could be a fairly simple proposition.
The plan also includes a major overhaul of the healthcare sector, which the caucus says is in dire need of federal support. The checklist calls for a new system that will provide real-time data on hospital capacity and supply availability. It also says that national and regional healthcare workers need to stay organized for easy deployment to COVID-19 hot spots. Under the proposal, U.S. healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, and local governments would receive more federal funding.
Protective Gear
Another major bullet point on the PSC agenda is the widespread use of protective gear. PSC lawmakers say all essential workers should wear masks and other protective gear for the foreseeable future. PRC co-chair Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) says mandatory mask use should also be extended to the education system. “We need to do it to get our schools back open,” said Gottheimer, referring to the proposed school mask policy, “That’s part of the precaution we’re going to have to take … we want to take every precaution.” The PSC checklist calls for mandatory mask use for all K-12 students and teachers. However, lawmakers admit that the country must ramp up its supply chain for protective gear in order to meet the demands of this policy.
Economic Plan
As US deaths soar, bipartisan back-to-work drive guarantees the explosive spread of pandemic: Trump & the political establishment are seeking to enforce a return to work despite warnings that the US is nowhere near prepared to reopen safely #socialismhttps://t.co/Y1gah8K4Mb pic.twitter.com/AGjSuOxtDR
— World Socialist Web Site (@WSWS_Updates) April 19, 2020
On the economic front, the plan notes that the U.S. needs to shore up its supply chain for essential goods. The U.S. largely relies on overseas manufacturing for its supply of pharmaceuticals and medical goods. Also, the pandemic has exposed this dependence as a major national security risk. The PSC plan wants to provide financial incentives to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. so the country can have a steady supply of essential goods during times of crisis.
The group also acknowledges that the country needs a major economic stimulus to support Americans who have suffered as a result of the pandemic. One of the proposed measures includes a plan for nationwide relief for mortgage and rent payments. This, the group says, plays an essential role in stabilizing the real estate market. The “Problem Solvers” also want to extend more support for U.S. businesses, including low-interest loans and tax incentives. Federal aid for farmers and agricultural businesses is also on the docket.
Discussions and Support
Over the last four weeks, the “Problem Solvers Caucus” met numerous times to discuss this proposal. This includes four meetings with colleagues in the senate. The group hopes that the plan will set the tone for a new era of legislative cooperation between the nation’s highly-divided political parties. “If we can get to 75 percent-plus consensuses, that’s a pretty good indication that these are solid ideas substantively that can bring people together,” Rep. Reed said, “What this proposal is doing is really trying to lay some groundwork. We need to do a better job of looking over the horizon and around corners.”
Now, the PSC checklist will head to congressional leaders and President Trump for review. Some of the checklist’s requests could be implemented relatively easily through executive orders. However, other components require congressional approval. However, the main goal of the checklist is to provide a basic framework for a clear path to economic recovery.
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