Congressional Hispanic Caucus Statement on COVID-19 Relief

December 21, 2020
Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, December 21st, 2020, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chairman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement on COVID-19 relief:

"After months of Republican obstruction in the Senate, Congress is finally providing meaningful relief to American workers, families, and small businesses. This federal government support is a critical lifeline for the U.S. economy during the winter surge of cases, but is not anywhere near enough for working families to fully recover from this unprecedented health and economic crisis.

"This COVID relief provides desperately needed help for struggling Latino communities, boosts our public health response to the pandemic, and will help Latino businesses and workers. The coronavirus pandemic has devastated Latino families, who are disproportionately essential workers on the frontlines. Latinos are also more than four times as likely to be hospitalized and more than twice as likely to die from COVID-19.

"Most families of four will receive a $2,400 direct payment — including many mixed-status families who were unjustly left out and are now eligible for future and previous stimulus checks. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus successfully advocated to include these hard-working taxpayers, and we will continue pushing to ensure immigrant families and children are not left behind in future relief. The bipartisan relief package also delivers resources to help tackle COVID-19, including funding for safe and effective vaccines, and an equitable distribution to help the hardest hit, hardest to reach communities. Many CHC priorities were included in the final package, including rental assistance, extension of eviction moratoriums, and funding for small businesses to retain workers though the Paycheck Protection Program.

"The next Congress must work together in earnest with the incoming Biden-Harris administration to address long-standing inequalities and build back better than before."

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Member Legislation Included in the Final Package:

  • Improving Low Income Access to Prescription Drugs Act by Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán
  • Fair Choices for Medicare Beneficiaries Act by Rep. Jimmy Gomez
  • New Home Energy Efficiency Act by Rep. Jimmy Gomez
  • Home Energy Savings Act by Rep. Jimmy Gomez
  • Emergency Ensuring Access to SNAP (EATS) Act by Rep. Jimmy Gomez
  • Safe Housing for Families Act by Rep. Jésus G. "Chuy" García
  • National Museum of the American Latino Act led by Sen. Bob Menendez, Rep. José Serrano, and Rep. Tony Cárdenas
  • Covering our FAS Allies Act by Rep. Tony Cárdenas
  • Protecting Patients Transportation to Care Act by Rep. Tony Cárdenas
  • Strengthening Mental Health Supports for BIPOC Communities Act by Rep. Tony Cardenás
  • G.I. & Veteran Education Empowerment Act" (GIVE Act) by Rep. Norma Torres
  • Spent Nuclear Fuel Solutions Research and Development Act by Rep. Mike Levin
  • Leonel Rondon Pipeline Safety by Rep. Lori Trahan
  • Native American Suicide Prevention Act by Rep. Raúl Grijalva
  • Saguaro Park Boundary Expansion Act by Rep. Raúl Grijalva

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The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), founded in December 1976, is organized as a Congressional Member organization, governed under the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives. The CHC is dedicated to voicing and advancing, through the legislative process, issues affecting Hispanics in the United States, Puerto Rico and U.S. Territories.