Press Releases

Washington, DC — Last night, the House passed an updated version of the Heroes Act by a 214 to 207 vote. The amended legislation refines House Democrats’ negotiating position to address the needs that have developed since The Heroes Act passed in May.

“I am proud to have voted for four COVID-19 stimulus packages which were signed into law, but it is clear that those bills alone are not enough to truly address the challenges facing our communities. That’s why I voted to pass two additional coronavirus relief bills in the House, which will provide the assistance individuals, families, local governments, and small businesses on the Central Coast urgently need. The Senate cannot continue to sit idly by as Americans continue to suffer,” said Rep. Carbajal. “I remain hopeful a bipartisan compromise will emerge from this package so we can deliver for Americans in need. Lives, jobs, and the future of our economy are on the line.”

The updated Heroes Act totals $2.2 trillion and aims to address new needs which have arisen since the Senate failed to take up the legislation when it passed the House in May. The bill includes additional relief for unemployed workers, another round of direct payments, strong support for small businesses by improving the Paycheck Protection Program, which helped save over 158,000 jobs on the Central Coast, and would deliver targeted assistance to restaurants, nonprofits, and event venues. The updated package invests over $300 million in local governments on the Central Coast alone, and includes more funds to help schools reopen and for child care. The bill will also provide additional assistance for airline industry workers.

The updated proposal still maintains key priorities from the original Heroes Act, including strong support for frontline workers, robust funding for state and local governments, and invests in testing, tracing, and treatment.

Previously, the House has passed five other comprehensive relief packages to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, four of which were signed into law: the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, enacted on April 24; the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, enacted on March 27; the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, enacted on March 18; and the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act enacted on March 6.

A one-pager on the updated Heroes Act can be found here. A section-by-section summary of the legislation as introduced is here. Additional information on the state and local relief provisions of the legislation as introduced is here.

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