Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02) released the following statement on the House passage of a bipartisan measure to increase the economic impact payments in the most recent COVID relief bill from $600 to $2,000.

“For months, House Democrats have been fighting to secure additional economic impact payments for the American people,” said Rep. Kuster. “The COVID relief legislation we passed earlier this month was long-overdue and provides some support, but it is a down payment, not a long-term solution. I was disappointed that the direct payments were only $600, but the bill is a compromise based on what Congressional Republicans and the White House were willing to provide. The COVID relief package does not include everything we have been fighting for over the past months, but it provides much-needed support for our health care systems, vaccine distribution capacity, increased funding for small businesses, and will extend unemployment benefits for Granite Staters who are out of work.”

Rep. Kuster continued, “The bipartisan bill we passed today raises the direct payments from $600 to $2,000, which is exactly what President Trump called for. I'm glad that many of my Republican colleagues supported this bill, and I hope that Senate Republicans will act quickly to pass it and get relief to American families.”

Kuster has been a strong advocate for additional support from the federal government as the country continues to combat the coronavirus pandemic. She is an original co-sponsor of H.R.748, the CARES Act, which responded to the COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on the economy, public health, state and local governments, individuals, and businesses. Kuster also supported H.R. 6800, the HEROES Act in May, and advocated for an updated version of the legislation in October. Earlier this month, Rep. Kuster spoke on the House floor urging Congress to pass immediate COVID-19 relief legislation.

COVID-19 Relief Legislation that was Signed into Law Includes:

$600 Stimulus Checks:

• Offers a lifeline to struggling families by making $600 direct payment to parents and their children. Individuals earning less than $75,000 annually would receive a $600 stimulus payment, married couples earning less than $150,000 annually would receive $1,200 and this legislation includes an additional $600 payment per child. 

Bolstered Support for Small Businesses in New Hampshire:

• Provides $284.45 billion for a second round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to help businesses get through the pandemic. 
• Simplifies loan forgiveness process for borrowers with PPP loans of less than $150,000, making it easier for the more than 21,000 NH businesses who received smaller PPP loans.
• Expands PPP eligibility to include local chambers of commerce. 
• Includes $15 billion for independent music venues and movie theaters.

Funding for COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution & Local Health Response:

• In June, Rep. Kuster led legislation to expand and enhance the manufacturing capacity of COVID-19 vaccines. This COVID relief bill includes language modeled off Rep. Kuster’s legislation to invest over $19 billion in the nation’s supply of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics, including the manufacture, production, and purchase of vaccines, therapeutics, and ancillary supplies.
• Dedicates $8.75 billion for vaccine distribution and administration, with a targeted investment of $300 million for high-risk and underserved populations, including rural areas. 
• Includes $4.25 billion in funding for mental health and substance misuse treatment and prevention services.
• Provides long-term extensions of critical public health programs, including funding for Community Health Centers. Last week, Rep. Kuster led a letter with 20 of her House colleagues championing the long-term reauthorization of funding for health centers.

Extended Unemployment Assistance & Economic Support for Families:

• Provides an additional $300 per week through March 2021 in unemployment compensation to support Granite Staters out of work.
• Prevents Americans from being evicted during the holiday season by extending the federal eviction moratorium through January 31, 2021, and provides an additional $25 billion to help renters stay in their homes. 
• Includes $10 billion in funding for Child Care and Development Block Grants to provide immediate assistance to child care providers.
• Increases Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, sometimes referred to as food stamps, by 15% for the next six months.

Support for Students & Educators:

• Invests $54.3 billion in K-12 schools to help make infrastructure upgrades to protect teachers and students from COVID-19.
• Provides a $22.7 billion lifeline to help institutions of higher education and their students. 

New Hampshire Funding Priorities Included in FY2021 Omnibus Appropriations Bill 

• Northern Border Regional Commission - $30 million 
• Rep. Kuster led a bipartisan, bicameral letter in March 2020 advocating for robust funding of $30 million to support job-creating projects in New Hampshire. This legislation includes language from Rep. Kuster’s bipartisan bill, the Northern Border Regional Commission Financial Flexibility Act, which would waive the non-Federal matching requirement for grant recipients, ensuring that NBRC funding can continue to flow to New Hampshire projects during the pandemic.  
• Cold Regions Research Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) - $4.2 million 
• Rep. Kuster helped secure critical funding to finalize the development and installation of research projects at CRREL in Hanover, NH which will help our Armed Forces establish a strategic advantage in the Arctic region. 
• Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) - $900 million 
• Rep. Kuster has been a tireless advocate for LWCF and worked across the aisle to secure full funding to maintain the development of conservation and recreation programs in New Hampshire. 
• Continuum of Care Homelessness Funds for Survivors of Sexual Violence - $52 million
• As a founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence, Rep. Kuster led a bipartisan effort to secure additional funding for rapid re-housing projects and services for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Having a new, safe place to call home makes a significant difference as survivors begin to rebuild their lives and finances.    
• USDA Rural Development Programs - $3.9 billion 
• As a former Member of the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Kuster worked to advance investments in USDA-RD which finance projects in New Hampshire ranging from drinking water infrastructure upgrades to expanding low-income housing in rural communities.