House speaker Nancy Pelosi addressed the nation Friday to introduce today’s Congressional bill, “The Families First Coronavirus Response Act.” She outlined what the House Democrats and the Senate minority had already proposed, which have not gone through.
Of this new bill, Pelosi said, “The three most important parts of this bill are: testing, testing, testing.”
“This legislation facilitates free coronavirus testing for everyone who needs a test, including the uninsured,” Pelosi continued. “We can only defeat this outbreak if we have an accurate determination of its scale and scope.”
Many of Pelosi’s statements seemed to be chosen deliberately to emphasize the Democrats’ differences with Donald Trump’s approach. In his Oval Office address Wednesday night, he only vaguely mentioned testing, saying, “Testing and testing capabilities are expanding rapidly, day by day. We are moving very quickly.” And Trump’s relief proposals also focused on businesses, rather than families.
In her short remarks, Pelosi used the phrases “evidence-based” and “science-based” multiple times.
“The American people expect and deserve a coordinated, science-based and whole of government response to keep them and their loved ones safe — a response that puts families first to stimulate the economy,” Pelosi said.
Pelosi said the bill would also include two weeks of paid sick leave for the sick, and for those who lose their jobs, strengthened unemployment insurance. She added that the bill covers student meals, SNAP and food banks for seniors.
“Working together, we will once again prevail,” she said. “God bless you, and God bless America.”
As she left the podium, a reporter shouted, “Does the White House support your bill?”