COMMUNITIES

IN CRISIS:
COVID-19 Is Disproportionately Affecting
Communities of Color

MAY 1, 2020
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN
 Communities of Color Are Disproportionately Affected By COVID-19

The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color is no surprise to public

health experts and civil rights leaders. Unfortunately, this pandemic has amplified major
structural inequities and discrimination that have impacted communities of color for
generations.

Due to a variety of systematic barriers, people of color are less likely to have steady access
to quality medical care and are more likely to have preventable, manageable conditions —
often experiencing complications due to lack of medical access. They are less likely to live in
neighborhoods with available healthy food options and more likely to face exposure to
environmental factors that affect health. People of color are also more likely to work
service industry jobs or jobs that do not offer sick leave and are now deemed essential.
Communities of color:

 Have less access to quality health care. People of color are less likely to receive quality
care than other communities and are also more likely to be uninsured. For example,
Latinos are almost 3 times as likely and African Americans are almost twice as likely to
be uninsured compared to their white counterparts.

 Are more likely to have a pre-existing condition. People of color are more likely to have
pre-existing conditions. Individuals with pre-existing conditions or chronic diseases are
more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID-19. African Americans are also most
likely to die of heart disease, the leading killer in the U.S.i Over 30 percent of American
Indian/Alaska Natives (AIANs) reported at least one form of heart disease in 2012,
compared with 11 percent of non-Hispanic whites.

 Face challenges accessing healthy food. COVID-19 has worsened many of the
challenges Americans face every day, including access to healthy foods. While the
national average for food insecurity is 12.3 percent, 22.5 percent of African American
households and 18.5 percent of Latino households are food insecure.ii

 Suffer greater exposure to air pollution and are at higher risk of the associated health
impacts. People of color represent nearly 70 percent of the 20.8 million Americans living
under the worst air quality conditions, and nearly 50 percent of the 150 million
Americans living in counties that have failed at least one air quality standard. iii New
studies have found that long-term exposure to air pollution can increase a person’s
likelihood of dying from COVID-19 by 15 percent.iv

 Make up a disproportionate number of frontline workers. As Americans increasingly

observe social distancing guidelines by working from home, African American and Latino
workers are less likely to have the ability to work from home. African Americans account
for nearly 30 percent of bus drivers and nearly 20 percent of all food service workers,
janitors, cashiers, and stockers.v

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 Hit hardest by growing levels of poverty as layoffs and furloughs continue to rise. Prior
to this pandemic, the typical African American and Latino households had a net worth of
just $17,100 and $20,765, compared with the $171,000 held by the typical white
household. During the Great Recession, unemployment for the U.S. peaked at 10
percent, compared to 17 percent for African American workers, 15 percent for AIANs,
and 13 percent for Latino workers. vi vii viii

 Have less access to capital. Minority-owned small businesses are less likely than white-
owned small businesses to have critical lending relationships with banks—for example,
only one percent of African American-owned businesses obtain loans in their founding
year while seven percent of white-owned businesses do.ix

 Face unique challenges during the pandemic. When discussing the disproportionate
impact of COVID-19 on Indian Country, it is essential to note that these realities are the
direct and indirect result of hundreds of years of federal policies that have resulted in
enormous health care and public health funding gaps and institutional barriers.

 Face increasing incidents of discrimination. On March 20, the U.S. Commission on Civil
Rights expressed grave concerns about the recent demonstrations of violence and hate
toward people of Asian descent. It noted that such discrimination is not only unlawful –
it has concrete impacts on access to work, health care, education, and more. x

In normal times, these factors mean lower incomes, worse health, and shorter lives.
During a pandemic, these health disparities as well as structural racism can mean the
difference between life and death.

Democrats are committed to addressing the risks of COVID-19 and the historic
discrimination that has created barriers to economic opportunity and a healthy future
for all Americans.

Democratic priorities achieved in the four COVID-19 packages passed by Congress:

 $60 billion in new Paycheck Protection Program funding dedicated to minority-owned

businesses and other underserved small businesses and nonprofits.

 Expanded unemployment insurance to ensure workers who are laid off and furloughed
due to coronavirus have the resources they need to pay their bills and take care of their
families. Everyone receiving unemployment insurance will receive an increase, and
benefits will be extended by 13 weeks.

 Provided direct support to families in the form of a $1,200 cash payment along with an
additional $500 per child.

 Provided funding for the Child Care Development Block Grant to provide child care
assistance to health care sector employees, emergency responders, sanitation workers,
and other workers deemed essential during the response to the coronavirus.
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 Authorized mental health and substance abuse treatment and prevention funding to
help communities provide behavioral health and addiction treatment.

 Assisted families in affording heating and cooling by providing funding for the Low-
income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

 Boosted funding for community health centers (CHCs), which help communities
provide vital care for the nation’s most vulnerable citizens.

 Included tax relief encouraging employers to implement student loan repayment

programs. This provision will exclude up to $5,250 in qualifying student loan
repayments paid by the employer.

 Assisted tribal governments by providing funding to the Indian Health Service, Food
Distribution Program for Indian Reservations, and Bureau of Indian Education.

 Funded the Community Development Block Grant to help rebuild impacted industries
such as tourism or manufacturing supply chains.

Democratic priorities for future COVID legislation:

 Pass a heroes fund to increase pay and protections for frontline workers.

 Ensure communities of color have access to quality, affordable health coverage and
equitable access to widespread testing, including through the expansion of Medicaid in
the 14 states that have yet to expand. We must also include minority populations in
clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments.

 Strengthen environmental and health protections for communities of color.

 Expand paid leave for workers to take care of themselves and their families.

 Increase food security by supporting programs to fight hunger in communities of color.

 Rebuild our nation’s infrastructure to stimulate recovery and address the structural
insufficiencies this crisis has exposed and made worse.

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 COVID-19 Taking Devastating Toll on Communities of Color

A wide variety of health risks and outcomes are directly affected by where we live,
work, and learn. These are known as social determinates of health. xi Minority
communities historically have worse health outcomes due to poor social determinants
of health and economic barriers. COVID-19 exposes just how deadly inequality can be.
On April 17, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released preliminary
data that shows 30 percent of COVID-19 patients are African American, but African
Americans make up only 13 percent of the U.S. entire population.xii In New York, the
state with the most COVID-19 deaths, the disease is twice as deadly for African
Americans and Latinos.xiii In addition, throughout the nation, majority African American
counties have three times the rate of COVID-19 infection and nearly six times the rate of
death as majority non-minority counties. xiv

 In West Virginia, 7.9 percent of positive COVID-19 cases are African American
despite making up only 3 percent of the overall population.

Source: West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services

While the statistics we have shown communities in crisis, we don’t know the full scope
of the problem. Preliminary state and local reports clearly show that COVID-19 is
disproportionately affecting communities of color. However, there have been no
nationally reported statistics on the race and ethnicity of COVID-19 patients. Racial data
was missing from 75 percent of the CDC data released on April 17, and about half of U.S.

While we know that communities of color have been hard hit, without comprehensive
data, we cannot understand the full scope of COVID-19 and develop proper policies to
assist those most in need.

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 Health Outcomes for People of Color During COVID-19

To public health experts and those aware of the current systems that influence the
social determinates of health, the poor COVID-19 outcomes for communities of color
are not surprising. That is because people of color in the United States:

 Often live in places with less access to high quality medical care.

 Are more likely to have preventable, manageable conditions, but experience

complications due to lack of medical access.

 Are less likely to have health insurance.

 Often live in places with less access

to healthy foods.
“Health disparities have always
 Have exposure to environmental
health disease risks, including air existed for the African American
pollution. community, but here again with
the crisis now — it’s shining a
 Are more likely to work in bright light on how
essential, frontline jobs that expose unacceptable that is,” Anthony S.
them to COVID-19. Fauci, Director of the National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious
You can learn more about your district’s Diseases (Washington Post).
social vulnerability index here.

Have Less Access to High-Quality Care

Numerous studies have shown that people of color receive less care and lower-quality
care than non-minority people, including for the very conditions that exacerbate COVID-
19.xv Many people of color are also uninsured compared to white Americans.xvi While
the ACA narrowed the coverage gaps between people of color and white Americans, the
uninsured rate has been increasing since the Trump Administration began sabotage of
the ACA in 2017.xvii While testing is free for everyone regardless of insurance status,
uninsured people may lack a relationship with a health care provider and not know
where to go to obtain testing.xviii People of color are overall less likely to have a regular
source of health care or to have had a health visit within the past year.xix Discrimination
within the health care system can also lead to long-term health complications and may
contribute to a lack of testing referrals for people of color. xx xxiDecades of discrimination
have also lead to mistrust in the health care system, making people of color more

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 REMEMBERING VIOLA HORTON
hesitant to seek care than white Americans. xxii
On March 15, 2020, Viola Horton, an
Are More Likely to Have Preventable, 88 year-old active member of
Manageable Conditions Morning Star Baptist Church in
Fairmont, West Virginia attended a
Lack of access to quality health care takes a toll on church anniversary service along with
the health of communities of color. Minorities are nearly 100 members of her
more likely to have several underlying health community. Shortly thereafter, she
conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, started experiencing symptoms of
obesity, and hypertension, all of which exacerbate COVID-19. Nearly 30% of the
COVID-19. xxiii Overall, non-elderly African American service attendees also tested positive.
Shortly afterwards, the state of West
adults, Latino and American Indian and Alaska
Virginia suspended church services.
Natives (AIANs) are more likely to report fair or poor On March 29, 2020, Ms. Vi – as she
health. xxiv was known to those who loved her -
passed away due to complications
 According to the CDC, 13.3 percent of African from COVID – 19.
Americans, 11.2 percent of Asian Americans,
20 percent of AIANs, and 10.3 percent of
Latino people have diabetes, compared to 9.4
percent of whites. AIANs are 2.5 times more
likely to die due to diabetes-related
complications. xxv

 African Americans are also most likely to die

of heart disease of all ethnic groups. xxvi Over
30 percent of AIANs reported at least one
form of heart disease in 2012, compared with
11 percent of non-Hispanic whites.

 Latino people (46.9 percent), African Americans (47.5 percent), and AIANs (40
percent) are also the most likely to be obese. xxvii

 Diabetes rates for these groups are also much higher; 21.5 percent of Latino
people and 19.6 percent of African Americans have diabetes. xxviii

 African Americans also have higher rates of asthma xxix and are nearly three times
more likely to die from asthma.xxx Individuals below the poverty line are also
most likely to have asthma.xxxi American Indian/Alaska Native children are 60
percent more likely to have asthma as non-Hispanic white children. xxxii

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  African American life expectancy has regularly been several years shorter than
the rest of the population by almost three years.xxxiii

 Many people are unable to adhere to medication regimens – either because of

lack of access, mistrust of a medical system, expense, or other factors. xxxiv

These factors make minority communities more susceptible to COVID-19. Ninety

percent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients have at least one underlying health
condition.xxxv Some studies show that COVID-19 may attack other organs besides the
lungs, including the heart, leaving people with these pre-existing conditions at greater
risk for serious long-term or fatal complications.xxxvi

Are Less Likely to Have Health Insurance

People of color are less likely to have health insurance and face more barriers when
seeking carexxxvii. African Americans (11 percent), Latinos (19 percent), and American
Indians (22 percent) are more likely to be uninsured than white Americans. xxxviii
Nonelderly AIANs are significantly more likely to be uninsured than the rest of the
nonelderly population (17 percent vs. 11 percent).xxxix

People of color are more likely to fall into the coverage gap or be ineligible for Medicaid
or Marketplace coverage because of their citizenship status. xl They also report more
barriers to receiving care, including cost and lack of primary care outside of the
emergency room. Without access to reliable health insurance and primary care, people
of color turn to our overloaded public health system or simply go without care.

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation

Have Poor Access to Healthy Foods

COVID-19 has worsened many of the challenges Americans face every day. Food
insecurity is no different. However, similar to trends prior to this global pandemic, some
Americans experience food insecurity at higher rates than others. As noted above, while

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the national average for food insecurity is 12.3 percent, 22.5 percent of African
American households and 18.5 percent of Latino households are food insecure.xli AIANs
are twice as likely to be food insecure compared to whites.xlii Communities of color are
at a higher risk of food insecurity due to factors such as income, education, food
environment, employment status, and geography. As a result of the policies in place to
mitigate the spread of COVID-19, these disparities are getting worse.

More Likely To Work Frontline Jobs

During the ongoing spread of COVID-19, our nation has relied heavily on the labor of
frontline essential workers in agriculture, cleaning, delivery and warehouse, grocery,
healthcare, and public transit jobs. These workers are critical to keeping the economy
moving, and many of them come from communities of color. For example, while African
American, Asian, and Latino people comprise 36 percent of the overall U.S. workforce,
they constitute 58 percent of agricultural workers and 70 percent of maids and
housekeepers.xliii

In New York City, which has been an epicenter of the COVID-19 epidemic, 75 percent of
all frontline workers are people of color, including 82 percent of cleaning service
employees. Furthermore, more than 40 percent of transit employees are African
American, and 60 percent of cleaning workers are Latino.xliv

Source: New York City Comptroller

Although these frontline workers are at risk of contracting COVID-19, they are not
always given the resources and support necessary to safely perform their duties.

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In addition, many of these workers do not have the luxury of teleworking. African
American and Latino workers are less likely to have jobs with the ability to work from
home, putting them at greater risk for exposure to coronavirus.xlv Only 16.2 percent of
Latino workers and 19.7 percent of African American workers can telework.

Source: Economic Policy Institute

Suffer Greater Exposure to Air Pollution

Communities of color, especially African Americans, suffer greater exposure to air
pollution and are at higher risk of the associated health impacts. Poor air quality is one
of the greatest environmental health risks in the United States,xlvi and people of color
are consistently overrepresented in counties with the worst air quality.xlvii

People of color make up nearly 50 percent of the 150 million Americans living in
counties with unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution,xlviii xlix despite only
constituting 39 percent of the total population,l and they represent nearly 70 percent of
the 20.8 million Americans living under the worst air quality, according to the American
Lung Association. li lii

Air pollution is associated with serious health problems like hypertension, heart disease,
and asthma – the same conditions now tied to severe and fatal cases of COVID-19.liii
African Americans have higher rates of asthma and are nearly three times more likely to
die from asthma-related causes than whites.liv They are also 40 percent more likely to

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have high blood pressure and 20 percent more likely to die from heart disease than non-
Hispanic whites.lv

A new study from Harvard directly links long-term exposure to air pollution to higher
COVID-19 mortality. Researchers found that someone who lives for decades in a county
with high levels of fine particulate air pollution is 15 percent more likely to die from
COVID-19 than someone in a region with one unit less of fine particulate pollution. lvi
Senior study author, Francesca Dominici, said the research suggests that counties with
higher pollution levels “will be the ones that have higher numbers of hospitalizations,
higher numbers of deaths, and where many of the resources should be
concentrated.”lvii

The Clean Air Act has produced significant improvements in air quality over the last 50
years, but levels of smog and particle pollution are still increasing, in part due to climate
change. From 2016-2018, 150 million Americans were living in counties with at least one
failing grade for smog or particle pollution.lviii That is an increase from 125 million in
2013-2015, to 134 million in 2014-2016, to 141.1 million in 2015-2017.lix Each of these
years are among the ten hottest on record.lx Worsening air quality is among the many
climate change impacts that low-income and minority communities suffer from
disproportionately.lxi

Ongoing Environmental Rollbacks Harm Communities

Already Struggling with COVID-19

Low-income and minority communities have long suffered environmental injustices.

These Americans have greater exposure to air pollution and toxic chemicals,lxii and they
are at greater risk from the impacts of climate change.lxiii The COVID-19 pandemic is
exposing these longstanding issues. These environmental challenges are part of the
reason why people of color are getting sicker and dying from COVID-19 at a higher rate
than the rest of the population.

Unfortunately, these same environmental challenges have been made worse over the
past three years. President Trump has weakened nearly 100 environmental and health
protections and severely undermined the fight against climate change.lxiv

Even in the middle of a pandemic, President Trump has taken actions that will worsen
environmental injustices. These changes mean low-income and minority communities
will suffer more and struggle harder to recover.

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During the COVID-19 public health crisis, President Trump has:
 Announced his Administration would not develop more protective standards for
fine particulate matter,lxv despite research linking exposure to this pollution and
higher COVID-19 death rates.lxvi Studies have shown that black Americans are
exposed to more than 1.5 times more of this pollution than the overall
population, and all non-whites are exposed to nearly 1.3 times more.lxvii

 Removed the legal authority for the Mercury and Air Toxic Standards, deciding it
is no longer “appropriate and necessary” to regulate power plant mercury and air
toxic emissions.lxviii This rule saves tens of thousands of lives every year and has in
part reduced air toxic and mercury emissions by more than 55%lxix and 80%lxx
respectively. President Trump has now allowed the rule to be effectively
challenged in court.

 Waived requirements for oil refineries to produce “summer” gasoline blends, lxxi
which help reduce smog. People of color, especially African Americans, are more
likely to live in areas with the worse smog pollution.lxxii

 Delayed Superfund cleanup, lxxiii which will disproportionately affect minorities

who make up nearly 50%of Americans living within one mile of a Superfund site,
lxxiv despite constituting only 39 percent of the U.S. population.lxxv

Economic Outcomes for Communities of Color During COVID-19

The economic fallout from COVID-19 is also having an outsized impact on minority
employment. Even before record layoffs and furloughs due to COVID-19, the
unemployment rate for African Americans was already higher compared to their white
counterparts.lxxvi As unemployment continues to rise, families of color are expected to
be hit disproportionately harder. According to researchers at Columbia Universitylxxvii,
rising unemployment is projected to increase racial disparities for African American and
Latino individuals, with poverty rates projected to rise twice as much among African
Americans as among whites.lxxviii However, while rates will certainly rise, the projections
did not account for actions taken by Democrats in the CARES Act to expand UI and
provide direct cash payments to citizens to lessen the damage done by widespread
unemployment. Also, tribal economies are service sector based/industries. Tribal
businesses and governments are often the only employers on some reservations, and
the massive layoffs and pending layoffs will negatively impact AIANs. lxxix

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Source: The New York Times

Minority Small Business Owners Disproportionately Affected by the Coronavirus

Small businesses, generally defined as businesses employing fewer than 500 employees,
account for roughly 44 percent of GDPlxxx and employ some 120 million people—nearly
half of all workers.lxxxi Small-business ownership among people of color is significantly
lower than among white men—people of color are 40 percent of the population, but are
only 20 percent of small-business owners with employees.lxxxii Additionally, minority-
owned businesses access financing much less often than do white-owned businesses—
for example, only one percent of African American-owned businesses obtain loans in
their founding year while seven percent of white-owned businesses do.lxxxiii

In general, minority-owned small businesses are more likely to be in industries most at

risk from the crisis—retail, restaurants, and lodging establishments forced to close due
to state stay-at-home orders.lxxxiv For example, looking at African American-owned
businesses by revenue, we see health care and social services are the largest sectors
followed closely by retail trade.lxxxv

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 Further, money
from the Paycheck
Protection
Program, created
by the CARES Act, is
not sufficiently
reaching minority
small-business
owners. Many
minority small-
business owners do
not have existing
relationships with
lending institutions,
and lending
institutions have
prioritized loans for
those with existing
relationships.lxxxvi

Democrats negotiated improvements to the Paycheck Protection Program in the latest

round to ensure more minority-owned businesses can receive much-needed relief. Of
the $310 billion allocated to the Paycheck Protection Program in the Paycheck
Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, $30 billion is reserved for
community-based lenders, small banks, and credit unions, and $30 billion for mid-sized
banks and credit unions.lxxxvii Because of this $60 billion set-aside, unbanked and
underserved businesses—including minority-owned businesses and small non-profits—
will now be able to better access the Paycheck Protection Program.

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 PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM: DESTINY BAPTIST CHURCH

Destiny Baptist Church in Martinsburg,

West Virginia applied for the Small
Business Association Payroll Protection
Program (PPP) Loan after the CARES Act
became law. After gathering the appropriate
documents and working with a community
bank, they successfully received funding.
This allowed the faith based organization to
continue to employ six workers during the
pandemic. The SBA PPP provides cash-flow
assistance through 100 percent federally
guaranteed loans to employers who maintain
their payroll during the COVID-19
pandemic. If employers maintain their
payroll the loan is forgiven which enables
workers remain employed. The positive
economic impacts of this can be felt across
communities.

Food Insecurity for Communities of Color During COVID-19

COVID-19 has worsened food insecurity. It is recommended that families stock up on

food to avoid frequent trips to the grocery store, but this may not be feasible for
communities of color, who are most susceptible to food insecurity. Families are seeing a
decrease in their income due to business closures or limited operations. Shelter-in-place
orders have forced them to provide meals for their children that they would have
received at school if classes were in session. While many school districts have continued
providing meals, some families have trouble accessing these services due to
transportation and child care issues.

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP)
provide free or reduced-priced meals to millions of students daily. Participation in these
programs is higher among students of color than non-Hispanic white students.lxxxviii
Schools have been working tirelessly to continue providing these programs and ensuring
children have meals. However, the quality of the food could be a concern in some
places, as low-income school systems typically don’t have the resources to provide as
many healthy food options as schools in higher-income neighborhoods. Despite the
flexibilities that changes in legislation have allowed, under-funded school systems still
may face additional challenges related to equipment and workforce that limit their
reach.
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Other food-assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP) are critical for food-insecure individuals. About 40 percent of SNAP participants
are people of color.lxxxix Also, approximately 25 percent of American Indian and Alaska
Natives (AIANs) receive some type of federal food assistance (e.g., SNAP) and, in some
tribal communities, participation is as high as 80 percent. Food banks also are a great
resource for those who are food insecure. However, food banks have reported a large
increase in people they are serving and a decrease in product as donations have been
slower.

Even though there are various programs and entities that provide food assistance to
families in need, many families still have challenges getting access to healthy, affordable
food because they live in “food deserts.” Food deserts are areas where residents have
limited to no access to healthy food. Because of a lack of grocery stores and farmers’
markets, residents of food deserts might have to rely on convenience stores, fast food
restaurants, and gas stations for regular meals. These areas are commonly found in low-
income areas and communities of color. Other factors also contribute to the accessibility
of healthy foods such as affordability, transportation, and income.

According to a survey by a national association that represents federally funded Tribal

food programs on Indian reservations, Indian Tribes are seeing an average 11 percent
increase in new participants [over 50 percent at some sites] since WHO officially
declared this a pandemic.

Approximately 25 percent of American Indian and Alaska Natives (AIANs) receive some
type of federal food assistance (e.g., SNAP). In some tribal communities, participation is
as high as 80 percent.

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Food Deserts in the United States & West Virginia

Source: USDA

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 What We Can Do to Support Communities of Color

Senator Manchin is fighting to ensure the voices and struggles of communities of color
are heard and addressed. Below are ways Congress and the Administration can help
assist people of color during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

 Establish a special health insurance enrollment period for those who are
uninsured. The Affordable Care Act established health care marketplaces for
uninsured people to sign up for health insurance during specific times of the year.
These are unprecedented times, and Democrats called on the Trump
Administration to re-open the health care marketplaces for people to sign up for
quality health insurance.

 Deploy widespread rapid-response testing as soon as possible. Nationwide

testing is a critical way to help contain the spread of the virus and allow the
economy to restart. This is crucial for communities of color that depend on
service jobs and who aren’t able to work from home. Testing allows local officials
to trace the virus’ spread and keep workers safe. It also allows local health care
professionals to prioritize treatment for those who need it most and manage
scarce clinical resources. Democrats secured $25 billion in the Paycheck
Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act for testing as well as
language to finally implement a national testing strategy. These are critical steps
to increasing testing in every community.

 Push for accurate and timely reporting of demographic breakdowns of COVID-

19 testing, treatment, and facilities. Without accurate and timely information on
the effects of COVID-19 on communities of color, state, local, and national
governments cannot ensure their containment plans are working for all
demographics. Democrats have called on the Administration to institute a more
stringent and complete breakdown of COVID-19 demographics.

 Include minority populations in clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines and

treatments. Minorities are often not fairly represented in clinical trials. As
researchers and institutions begin developing and testing various therapeutics
and vaccines for COVID-19, people of color must be encouraged to voluntarily
participate in study designs to ensure participants reflect the general population.

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 Help Americans struggling to pay their utility bills. Democrats secured nearly $1
billion in funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the
Coronavirus Preparedness Supplemental Appropriations Act. Together, these
funds will help approximately three million low-income households pay their
energy bills. Democrats have also called on the Administration to release these
funds as quickly as possible to allow states to distribute this vital assistance.

 Rebuild our nation’s infrastructure to provide needed sanitation and stimulate

recovery and address the structural insufficiencies this crisis has exposed and
made worse. Democrats recognize the opportunity to create jobs and rebuild our
economy by investing in drinking water, wastewater projects, clean energy
infrastructure, and broadband. Democrats are focused on providing Americans
relief now while preparing for recovery.

 Hold the Trump Administration accountable for weakening environmental and

health protections, especially in the midst of this pandemic. Democrats are
calling out this Administration for undermining existing protections and relaxing
enforcement of polluters. At the very least, the Trump Administration should
extend comment periods, hearings, and meetings for any proposal until after the
coronavirus pandemic.

 Expand paid leave for workers to take care of themselves and their families.
Democrats secured emergency paid sick and family leave for workers employed
by businesses with fewer than 500 employees should they have to stay home to
care for a child or if they are experiencing symptoms of coronavirus. Democrats
continue to fight to expand paid leave to every worker affected by this crisis.

 Ensure workers who are laid off and furloughed due to coronavirus have the
resources they need to pay their bills and take care of their families. Democrats
successfully fought to expand unemployment insurance to self-employed
workers, independent contractors, furloughed workers, part-time workers,
tipped employees, gig workers, and workers impacted by shutdowns due to
COVID-19. They also fought to secure a weekly increase of $600 through July 31,
2020 (4 months) for all workers receiving unemployment benefits. Benefits will
be extended by 13 weeks to a total of 39 weeks.

 Increase pay for essential frontline workers. Democrats have proposed a Heroes
Fund to provide frontline workers with a $25,000 pay increase ($13/hour
increase) to recognize their ongoing work on the frontlines of this pandemic. The

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 premium pay for essential frontline workers would last through December 31,
2020 and will be made retroactive to the start of the public health emergency
(January 27, 2020). This proposal also would provide a one-time $15,000 bonus
for individuals who sign up to become health care workers, home care workers,
and first responders.

 Expand protections for workers on the front lines. Democrats are fighting for
additional workplace protections for essential workers. Democrats have
proposed legislation requiring the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) to issue an Emergency Temporary Standard to ensure all frontline
essential workers are kept safe by their employers during the pandemic.

 Increase food security by supporting crucial programs to reduce hunger in

communities of color. Access to healthy and affordable meals is critical, as many
diet-related illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease are
risk factors of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Democrats have championed
and continue to fight for programs and policies that allow for better access to
food for communities of color, such as:

o Establishing the Health Emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance

Program, which allows states to increase benefits for families who need
additional food assistance during this crisis.
o Eliminating certain restrictions that make it more difficult for families to
continue to get the food they need while taking the precautions
necessary when businesses are closed and families must stay at home.
o Allowing schools and non-profits the flexibility to continue providing
school meals, including through mobile delivery.
o Creating a new Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer for families with
children who normally rely on school meals so they can purchase food
instead.

 Expedite high-speed internet deployment. Democrats secured additional

funding in the CARES Act to help close the digital divide, including $100 million in
grant funding available through the USDA’s ReConnect Program. Funding can be
used for construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment
needed to provide broadband service in eligible rural areas. $25 million in grant
funding for USDA’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program will help rural
communities upgrade telecommunications capacity.

19
i
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pdfs/data/statistics/national-diabetes-statistics-report.pdf
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lix
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lx
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lxi
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lxii
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lxiii
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lxiv
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lxv
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lxvi
https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/covid-pm
lxvii
https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2017.304297
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lxix
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lxx
https://www.edf.org/health/mercury-and-air-toxics-standards
lxxi
https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/nationwide-fuel-waiver-concerning-summer-gasoline
lxxii
https://www.lung.org/clean-air/outdoors/who-is-at-risk/disparities
lxxiii
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lxxiv
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lxxv
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lxxxii
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lxxxiii
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lxxxv
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