Covid-19 Action Plan

For Health

This campaign is built on real healthcare experience.

Our commonwealth was not prepared at first to deal with COVID-19 and the enormous implications it brings to our community. We must improve Pennsylvania’s healthcare system.

I promise to fight tirelessly for the policies that will keep you and your families healthy and safe, just as I spent years in healthcare fighting for patients and lower prescription costs in DC and Harrisburg. We must do everything in our power to halt this virus in its tracks.

  • Mandate paid sick leave for all employees and we must take advantage of federal funds to help protect overwhelmed small businesses. This will transition into a permanent system for all Pennsylvanians.
  • Create health departments in every county in the commonwealth and increase their access state grants.
  • Create a public option through a universally affordable medicare buy-in and encourage medicare and medicaid expansion.
  • Waive all co-pays during the pandemic and provide more state grants for hospitals, labs, and research facilities.
  • Protect reproductive rights and access to reproductive healthcare.

This may be a scary time, but this campaign will fight for quality healthcare for you and your families. Every Pennsylvanian deserves affordable and easily accessible medical care. With this COVID-19 Healthcare Action Plan, and the campaign’s full Healthcare Plan, we can make better public health decisions on behalf of all Pennsylvanians.

Join us and fight for a healthier PA!

For Working Families

Policies to protect ALL Pennsylvanians

Good healthcare policy is just not enough to protect us from the economic damage this virus will bring. The ongoing pandemic has been creating unique challenges to our community’s economic wellbeing and threatens the livelihoods and housing of millions of Pennsylvanians.

This campaign has created a COVID-19 Housing and Debt Crisis Relief Plan. In order to properly address the the ongoing crises in housing and economic precariousness among Pennsylvanians, a new set of protections must be put in place.

  • Mandate a moratorium on mortgages and freeze rents
  • Halt all evictions and stop utility shut-offs .
  • Waive payments on student loans for all state colleges.
  • Increase quality shelter space for displaced populations and people experiencing homelessness.

In addition to this expansion of economic protection, Pennsylvania and the federal government must also increase the social safety net for the unique circumstances of the day, beyond what the CARES Act calls for.

  • Expand unemployment benefits beyond 26 weeks and eliminate the waiting period.
  • Institute free childcare for essential employees.
  • Expand food stamps (SNAP) by working with the federal government to doubling the minimum monthly benefit and increasing the maximum benefit by 15 percent; also, to include food deliveries and more expensive goods during food shortages.
  • Increase bankruptcy protection for individuals and small businesses.
  • Investigate price-gouging of essential materials.

These are just some of the policies we need to institute immediately in order to protect Pennsylvania’s economy from lasting damage. In the coming weeks, as the situation becomes more clear, we will be updating this list with further policy options, some of which Pennsylvania will address.

For Small Businesses

There are new resources available for small businesses.

Let’s break them down for you

Delaware and Chester Counties were built on small businesses. The campaign has compiled information and links on how your small business can get access to these benefits, which are totaled at more than $377 billion.

Navigating the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act can seem daunting to small business owners. We have compiled all information regarding available benefits and how to claim them.

Loans and Grants:

  • Emergency grants of $10,000 will be available to EIDL applicants for employee sick leave, maintaining payroll or meeting other needs such as rent.
  • Paycheck protection loans of up to $10 million will be guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA). This provides for loan deferment for six months to a year, and the loan may be forgiven if the businesses maintains its payroll for eight weeks at employees’ normal salary levels.
  • Expanded Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to $2 million at an interest rate of 3.75% for small businesses and 2.75% for nonprofits. Payments can be deferred for up to 4 years and do not need a personal guarantee if under $200,000.

Taxes:

  • The tax filing deadline has been moved to July 15.
  • Affected employers can claim 50 percent credit on up to $10,000 of wages to furloughed employees that they continue to pay.
  • Employers can defer payment on 2020 payroll taxes until 2021 and 2022.
  • Businesses can get tax refunds by carrying back losses from 2018, 2019, and 2020 to the previous 5 years.
  • Businesses can claim tax refunds from cost recovery for investments in Qualified Improvement Properties from 2018 and 2019.

Resources:

For You

What you can do

By following CDC and broader government guidelines regarding social distancing and proper hygiene, we can do our part to protect the most vulnerable members of our communities.

  • Use the phone and internet to check in often with friends and family, especially those who are vulnerable to infection.
  • Stay home except for essential activities and exercise.
  • Call ahead before visiting your doctor.
  • Wear a face mask if you are sick.
  • Cover your coughs and sneezes and clean your hands often.
  • Avoid sharing personal household items and clean all “high-touch” surfaces everyday.
  • Check the Department of Health and CDC websites often for updates.

For Us

We will fight public health crises by your side to keep your families safe.

During this unprecedented global pandemic, we have instituted immediate changes to our campaign strategy to protect our staff and the community at large.

  • We halted all in-person voter interaction and worked to institute proper social distancing guidelines and work-from-home policies. We absolutely refuse to put any of our supporters or members of the broader community in danger.
  • Our movement is now being conducted entirely online, by mail, and by phone. The health of our community is paramount.
  • Any spare time by the campaign will be spent doing volunteer work in our local community. This includes any requests members of community make from groceries to help navigating available resources.
  • All are welcome to reach out to us for support, be it assistance with groceries, help with remote learning for your children, or a loneliness help-line (call us at +1 516 672 5805 or email at Brett@VoteBurman.com).

This campaign wants to act as a model of social distancing and solidarity. We are here for you now and always. Stay safe and stay healthy.