US Senator John Thune’s Weekly Column: The American Spirit is Unbreakable

The American Spirit is Unbreakable
By Sen. John Thune

Throughout the coronavirus outbreak, I’ve continually encouraged South Dakotans to follow the common-sense and consistent recommendations of health care professionals around the country: avoid crowds; stay home if you can, especially if you’re not feeling well; and cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.

I’ve always believed in leading by example, which is why when I recently felt under the weather, I decided it was best to avoid my colleagues on Capitol Hill. It unfortunately meant that I had to miss a few votes, but given the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it was the responsible thing to do. Practice what you preach, after all.

Over the last several weeks, my colleagues and I have been focused on supporting the American people during this national emergency. The Senate recently approved a significant coronavirus relief bill – the third piece of bipartisan legislation we’ve considered since the beginning of the outbreak. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is the product of numerous bipartisan ideas, all aimed at providing relief to American families, workers, and small businesses.

The CARES Act will help get emergency cash into the hands of the American people quickly. Once this bill becomes law, individual taxpayers who earn $75,000 or less per year are eligible to receive $1,200 from the federal government. Married couples who file jointly and earn $150,000 or less per year are eligible to receive $2,400. Parents will also receive an additional $500 per qualifying child. It’s cash, there are no strings attached, it doesn’t matter what your employment situation is, and it’s not taxed.

One of our top priorities with the CARES Act is to help bridge the gap between this crisis and when life eventually returns to normal. It sets aside billions of dollars to assist small businesses that are trying to stay afloat and keep people employed. It delays payments for employer-side payroll taxes and offers forgivable loans to small businesses that retain their employees throughout this crisis. It also sets aside billions of dollars so states, whose battle needs are different in this crisis, have the resources they need to respond to the outbreak.

For people who lost their job as a result of this crisis, the CARES Act makes a significant investment in states’ unemployment programs. Under this bill, most Americans who file for unemployment insurance benefits will receive an additional $600 per week, and eligibility for benefits is extended for an additional 13 weeks.

The bill will also temporarily enact provisions of the bipartisan Employer Participation in Repayment Act, legislation I introduced last year with Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), which will allow employees to receive up to $5,250 tax-free from participating employers to help pay down their student loan debt. The bill also waives the 10-percent early withdrawal penalty for distributions up to $100,000 from qualified retirement accounts for coronavirus-related purposes. And for the already struggling agriculture community, the CARES Act includes targeted funding that I worked hard to secure that will provide assistance to farmers and ranchers in South Dakota, including livestock producers, who have been hit hard by market volatility.

Most importantly, though, the CARES Act will help ensure the nation’s medical professionals have the tools and resources they need to fight this battle on the front lines. It provides $117 billion for our nation’s health care community, including veterans’ health, to support doctors, hospitals, and other health care professionals. It also increases access to much-needed telehealth services, which we know are critical in rural South Dakota. These services are needed now more than ever across the nation to help keep patients and health care workers safe.

These are tough times. Staying home is inconvenient. Canceling vacations isn’t fun. Encountering empty grocery store shelves can be alarming. We’re going to get through this, though. And when this outbreak is over, we will have learned a lot of things – not the least of which will be that the American spirit is unbreakable. It’s unbreakable, especially when we stand together. We can do this.

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