Before voting to pass a $2.4 trillion coronavirus outbreak relief package, U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb said Friday that the bill was not perfect, but the country needed its benefits as soon as possible.
"We can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good," said Lamb, D-17, Mount Lebanon. "This is a good bill and I'm going to vote for it."
The bill will not only put some money in the hands of most Americans — $1,200 for individuals and $2,400 plus $500 for children for married couples — but will assist businesses with payroll so they can keep workers employed.
Pittsburgh International Airport, which announced it was halting its $1.1 billion terminal project, would benefit as would the construction workers there because there are prevailing wage provisions in the bill, Lamb said.
While some criticized the bill for giving too much help to large corporations, Lamb said it helps small and big companies as well as those laid-off and still working. "This is a time of crisis," he said, "so we had to do a little bit of everything."
Lamb said its imperative that Congress next tackle an infrastructure bill, which would not only address those issues but also put people to work. "That is going to be our ticket out of this thing in the long term," he said.
An infrastructure bill would be "economic stimulus" and provide the country the "best bang for the buck" as opposed to more tax cuts for the wealthy, said Lamb, pointing to potential work on locks and dams, bridges, roads and the nation's electrical grid.
Lamb said the federal government has been slow to respond to the outbreak and providing healthcare providers with the masks, gloves and ventilators they desperately need. "It's time for (Trump) to take control and make sure they get what they need," he said.
A week ago, Lamb joined on a bipartisan letter urging House leaders to prioritize funding for personal protective equipment for healthcare workers, first responders and others fighting the pandemic.
Lamb said he has been talking to firefighters in the Pittsburgh area that do not have any gear to protect themselves against the virus. "A lot of the people on the frontline just don't have anything at all," he said.
Local government cannot afford to buy equipment for their first responders, but the bill provides $150 billion to state and local governments to address the virus, Lamb said.
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