DEMOCRATS’ ACT BARS NATIVE CORPORATIONS FROM GETTING AID
Rep. Chuck Kopp, a Republican incumbent in District 24, says he supports House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s HEROES Act, according to a recent communique from ASEA, the largest public employee union in Alaska.
The HEROES Act is the Democrats version of the next CARES Act relief package for Americans suffering from the economic impact of government and economic shutdowns.
“The HEROES Act is a critical piece of legislation that will better address the needs of local government and have provisions in there including hazard pay – [Public Employees] are certainly in high risk situations – we have hundreds of groups of employees on the frontline that are making sure our state is running during a very difficult time,” Kopp was quoted as saying in the union’s press release dated June 18.
Kopp was part of a group of seven Republicans who left the Republican House majority in 2019 to form up a coalition with Democrats. In doing so, they gave enormous power to House Democrats, a decision that played out when House Speaker Bryce Edgmon, a Democrat, made his appointment to the Redistricting Board earlier last month. The person making the appointment to the board should have been a Republican since the Republicans had a clear majority in the House before the seven gave away that authority.
The HEROES Act has a number of controversial provisions and, offered by the Democrats in the House, is more or less dead on arrival in the Republican-controlled Senate:
- It bars Alaska Native Corporations from receiving aid.
- The bill extends the $600-per-week unemployment “bonuses” through the end of January 2021. This provision is being blamed for employees refusing to return to work.
- Another $1,200 check and up to $6,000 per family would be released.
- Another $1 trillion wold go to state and local authorities.
- The bill expedites green cards for migrant workers.
- The bill overhauls banking for cannabis businesses.
- $5 million is included for Congress’ tech equipment.
- HEROES takes money back retroactively from the CARES Act.
The 1,800-page stimulus bill may have still more surprises in it.
McConnell called the bill an “unserious product from an unserious majority,” which was loaded with non-pandemic related pork spending. It passed with a nine-vote advantage, with 14 Democrats voting against it.
The HEALS Act is the Republican legislation for another rescue package, and negotiations are ongoing between Democrats and Republicans.
[Compare HEROES Act and HEALS Act here]
President Trump has said the HEROES Act was dead on arrival, which may force Democrats to the negotiating table.
The House of Representatives left Washington, D.C. for a five-week “campaigning” vacation. Senators left for a month beginning on Aug. 7.
