Kane County Reporter

Illinois' 6th Congressional District issued the following announcement on March 14.

U.S. Representative Sean Casten (IL-06) released the following statement after the House passed the bipartisan H.R. 6201 the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, a second measure to help the country combat COVID-19 or novel coronavirus pandemic.

The legislation includes free coronavirus testing for everyone who needs a test,  paid emergency leave with two weeks of paid sick leave and up to three months of paid family and medical leave, additional access to food assistance for those in need, and dedicated funding to bolster state’s public health capacity.

Casten said, “Americans are counting on Congress to put aside politics and act decisively to curb this pandemic. We have stepped up to this urgent responsibility to confront and control this crisis. For far too many Americans, getting sick and missing work is simply not an option and we as elected officials have a duty to step in and provide the resources necessary to ensure their economic security during this pandemic.  

“I’m proud that my colleagues in the House have recognized the urgency of this situation for American families and in response have championed legislation to lessen their financial burden by providing paid leave, stronger unemployment insurance, and free coronavirus testing.

“In order for this nation to surmount this public health crisis, we need to take bold action based on scientific fact and the economic needs of everyday Americans to help this country successfully and holistically tackle this pandemic.”

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act builds upon the first emergency coronavirus supplemental funding measure that was signed into law last week. The $8.3 billion funding package consisted of emergency funding for state and local health agencies, vaccine development, and small business loans to lessen economic damage.

Original source can be found here.