As you work quickly with your Congressional colleagues to pass new legislation to address the devastating public health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis, the Children’s Defense Fund urges you to include in the next package a number of critical provisions to protect our nation’s children and families.
CDF was one of over 600 organizations calling for the House to address two major provisions of the proposed COVID-19 relief bill that would exclude millions of immigrant families, including U.S. citizen children. We cannot protect the nation from the Coronavirus and its economic impact if we deny health care and financial relief to a large segment of our communities.
On Wednesday, March 18, the Senate will take up the House-passed Families First Coronavirus Response Act, as the next step in providing relief from the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic.
We are disappointed that public charge regulations from the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State will go into effect today, February 24. But we have not lost heart. As our team in Texas is saying, “Keep calm and stay enrolled!” Our fight continues.