by Mike Knaak
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Rep. Tom Emmer was one of 40 Republicans who voted against a bill to address the coronavirus pandemic.
The measure passed the House late March 13 by a vote of 363-40 and awaits Senate action. Donald Trump supports the bill.
The legislation guarantees free coronavirus testing, establishes paid leave, enhances unemployment insurance, expands food security initiatives and increases federal Medicaid funding.
The Senate passed the bill, with technical modifications, March 18.
If the bill is approved by the Senate and signed by the president, it would grant two weeks of paid sick leave at 100 percent of the person’s normal salary, up to $511 per day.
It would also provide up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave at 67 percent of the person’s normal pay, up to $200 per day.
In a statement, Emmer criticized how fast the vote moved forward and that the House “operated in the middle of the night.”
Emmer’s statement continued, “Perhaps worst of all, in a time where spending is out of control, nobody even bothered to calculate the costs of these measures.”
Two years ago, Emmer voted for Trump’s tax cut, which mostly aided businesses and those with high incomes and added $1.9 trillion to the deficit over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
