The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed by Congress and signed by the President on March 27, is the largest stimulus package in U.S. history with $2 trillion in relief for individuals, small businesses, large corporations, hospitals and public health systems, and state and local governments. IBEW International President Lonnie R. Stephenson and Political and Legislative Affairs staff lobbied members of Congress, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, for family medical leave mandates, expanded unemployment insurance, and oversight of bailouts and loans.
“We had in mind the overall health of the American people and economy, but we also have partners – in railroad, broadcast, construction—that have very specific interests,” Political and Legislative Affairs Director Austin Keyser said. “What do we need? What is hurting us now? Where are the layoffs and what policies would respond to that pain? Then we worked with Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader Schumer and their staff to insert those provisions. We helped them find ways to make happen what we needed, and in many cases, we have been successful.”
Read more about provisions in the federal CARES Act and what they mean to IBEW members.
