Issue Position: Defeating the Coronavirus
Issue Position
In early 2020, the United States was confronted with a unique challenge that we had never faced before. Tim Walberg prioritized the health, safety, and the economic viability of our country and ignored the politically-motivated squabbles caused by some politicians in Washington.
Tim Walberg has supported a flexible, commonsense approach to combatting COVID-19. While he believes we must all take precautionary measures and adhere to the advice of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to ensure the safety of our families, we must also recognize the long-term economic impacts the government may cause and utilize data and commonsense to guide our response efforts on a regionalized basis. Due to population density, and many other factors, what works in urban and suburban areas, may not work in rural areas and the solutions for one area, could cause more harm in another.
In Congress, Tim Walberg voted in a bipartisan manner for:
Economic Impact Payments for 130 million Americans
The expansion and increased eligibility of Unemployment Insurance (UI) for Americans impacted by Coronavirus
Emergency Sick and Family leave
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which kept millions of small businesses running and allowed tens of millions of Americans to keep their employment and income
Increased testing, vaccine development efforts, and treatment funding
$750 billion in federal assistance to states and localities in their fight against COVID-19
Assistance for programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which ensure food security for vulnerable populations
Tim Walberg signed onto letters with Democrats and Republicans alike to encourage appropriate response efforts and the distribution of supplies and funding for areas, like Michigan, who experienced elevated cases of COVID-19. Resulting from legislation Tim supported like the CARES Act, billions of federal dollars have flowed directly into pockets of individuals, small businesses, and medical providers in Michigan. The State of Michigan has also received billions of federal dollars, and federal agencies have gathered and delivered millions of supplies like personal protective equipment (PPE) to Michigan.
While some politicians saw COVID-19 as an opportunity to pursue political wish-lists, Tim Walberg remained committed to working together to fight for both Michigan's security, health, and wellbeing.
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