“After careful deliberation and meaningful conversations with Minnesotans, I have decided to vote in favor of the Heroes Act. This bill opens negotiations on the next bold legislative package America needs to protect the health of our citizens and economy. And while I have registered deep reservations about the process by which we reached this point, I am pleased to have secured from Congressional leadership a commitment for a vote on HR 6886, the bipartisan Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act, a bill I am leading with Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) that will make much needed revisions to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Securing a bipartisan vote on this important and time-sensitive legislation makes me more comfortable voting in favor of the Heroes Act.
The problems before us are urgent ones, and I’m pleased that we are now one step closer to passing aid to states and local governments, hazard pay for frontline workers, PPP flexibility, and election safety funding. Earlier this week, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said that Congress needs to step up with bold, forceful policies to prevent the next wave of bankruptcies and prolonged joblessness. To achieve this goal, Republicans and Democrats in Congress and the White House must work together on good solutions and sound policy that gets us through this pandemic as healthy, economically-sound, and prepared for the future as possible.
We will face immense challenges in the days ahead. Millions of small businesses are struggling, more than 20 million Americans are out of work, and the very real possibility of new waves of COVID-19 infections require that no time be wasted. I am optimistic that both parties will craft a compromise package in the coming days, a process in which I intend to participate.”