Advocacy Action Update from the Susan G. Komen Center for Public Policy

Thank you to our advocates who took action this week in support of Congress’ most recent coronavirus relief package! The legislation, which was just signed into law by President Trump, provides critical protections and funding not only to community-based charitable organization, like Susan G. Komen, but every person impacted by this crisis. A summary of the legislation is provided below. As the impact of the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) continues to expand, thank you for using your voice to demand action. We continue to hear from breast cancer patients who are losing their incomes, fearing the impact the virus will have on their health and experiencing issues that have limited their ability to access the care they require. We are closely monitoring new developments and the impact on the communities we serve. If you have a story to share, we want to hear from you during this difficult time. Whether you’ve been unable to access the care and treatment you need, either in person or through telehealth, have experienced delays in your treatment, or are unable to pay for your care due to financial insecurity. Contact us at policy@komen.org and tell us what challenges you are now facing due to COVID-19. Komen has recently established the Komen COVID-19 Action Fund to support urgent needs among our breast cancer community today. Learn more about the fund here. If you need support during this difficult time, the Komen Breast Care Helpline, 1-877-GO-KOMEN (1-877-465-6636), provides information, psychosocial support and help with coping strategies related to anxiety or concerns during these uncertain times. The service is offered in English and Spanish from 9:00am-10:00pm ET. Email the helpline directly at helpline@komen.org. Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act The legislation takes a multipronged approach to confronting the mounting crisis. It contains several measures aimed directly at helping workers, including stimulus checks for millions of Americans, and others to shore up the government safety net, with provisions such as more food stamp spending and more robust unemployment insurance benefits. It also includes numerous provisions to help businesses, providing them with zero-interest loans, tax breaks and other subsidies. The bill also includes some measures aimed at addressing the public health crisis. Charitable Giving Incentive: The CARES Act includes a new above-the-line universal deduction for charitable contributions of up to $300. The incentive applies to contributions made in 2020. The bill also lifts the existing cap on annual contributions for those who itemize, raising it from 60 percent of adjusted gross income to 100 percent. For corporations, the bill raises the annual limit from 10 percent to 25 percent. Hospitals and health-care spending: The legislation includes hundreds of billions of dollars in funding to help prepare America’s healthcare infrastructure for responding to the coronavirus. A $100 billion fund was developed for hospitals and providers hit hardest by the outbreak, which can be used for protective gear for healthcare workers, testing supplies and emergency operation centers, among other necessities. The legislation also increases funding for community health centers; Medicare payments; telehealth and home service; and public health agencies such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. $1,200 checks for millions of Americans: The package will send direct checks to tens of millions of families to stimulate the economy. The legislation would give taxpayers $1,200 per adult and $500 per child. The benefit would be smaller for individual taxpayers earning over $75,000 annually (or $150,000 for a couple filing jointly) and disappear altogether for individuals earning over $90,000 (or $180,000 for a couple). Eligibility for the benefit will be determined by a taxpayers’ 2019 or 2018 tax returns. Increase in unemployment insurance benefits: The legislation will also dramatically beef up unemployment insurance benefits to protect workers from expected job losses in the coming weeks. It extends unemployment benefits to people who may not have been fired but are unable to work as a result of coronavirus — because they are sick, quarantined or need to take care of a child forced to stay home from school. The federal government will provide an additional $600 a week on top of existing unemployment benefits, which currently average about $300 a week, for four months. Emergency aid for state and local governments: States are expected to be hammered by the economic crunch, both with rising costs as people seek additional public assistance and lower tax revenue because of falling business activity. The federal aid package provides $150 billion to state and local governments, including $8 billion for tribal governments. Aid to large businesses and corporations: The legislative package includes a provision for hundreds of billions of dollars in loans for large businesses getting hit hard by the outbreak. It includes $25 billion in grants for the passenger airlines; $25 billion in loans for passenger airlines; $17 billion for companies deemed critical to national security; and $425 billion for other businesses, cities and states, allocated through funding mechanisms set up by the Federal Reserve. Emergency aid for small businesses. The bill also aims to help small companies weather the economic storm. It does so through generous zero-interest loans for businesses, including charitable organizations, with fewer than 500 employees — loans that could be forgiven if the businesses follow certain conditions, such as not firing their workers. The loans convert to grants if used for covering employee salaries, rent, paid leave, utility payments, health insurance premiums or other necessities or worker protections. Thank you for your support – together we can get through this critical time. Komen Center for Public Policy

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