Congressman Fred Upton is back home in southwest Michigan getting updates on local efforts to combat coronavirus. Upton spoke to the St. Joseph City Commission Monday night, just moments after a conference call with Republican leadership in the U.S. House regarding federal efforts to keep the country moving.
“We’re in the second inning, with a lot more innings to go,” said Upton in comparing the response to baseball. “We will be looking at a stimulus plan to protect workers, not a bailout, but to protect the workers themselves as there’s so much stress.”
He remains hopeful for Senate passage of a bill that passed the House over the weekend with broad bipartisan support to require businesses with fewer than 500 people provide an additional 14 days of paid sick leave for employees, paying them at least two-thirds of their normal wage. The bill was an agreement between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Trump administration, and the White House wants to expand it to cover businesses with more than 500 employees. Employers would also receive a tax credit for the sick time paid to employees.
