WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) today voted in favor of the Heroes Act, a comprehensive relief package to support essential workers, help our families and local businesses, and expand testing and tracing resources to fight the disease and responsibly reopen our economy.

Congressman Norcross released the following statement after the bill’s passage through the House:

“This is about response, relief and recovery: Improving our response by greatly expanding testing, providing relief for families and getting us on the path to a safe, responsible recovery. Every American, from essential workers to families, and from small business owners to students, urgently needs help to weather the health crisis and economic crisis caused by COVID-19. Today, we came together to pass the Heroes Act to protect and support all South Jersey residents and ensure our frontline heroes have the resources they need to continue saving lives.

“I fought for increases in funding for our local governments to keep first responders and health care workers safe and on the job, resources for food banks and other nutrition assistance programs to assist our families in need, as well as additional funding to close the digital divide for students who are now learning from home. We have a responsibility to do what is necessary now to protect the health and well-being of all of our communities. I urge the Senate to act swiftly and pass this legislation to get the American people the relief they need.”

The Heroes Act provides the New Jersey government and local communities on the frontlines of this crisis with desperately needed funding to cover coronavirus-related outlays and revenue loss and keep our health care workers, police, fire, transportation, EMS, teachers and other vital workers safe and on the job.

The Heroes Act also includes a $90 billion fund to support state and local public education, including an estimated $2,082,842,000 for New Jersey communities. This funding will help maintain or restore state and local fiscal support for elementary, secondary and public higher education and can be used to meet a wide range of urgent needs, including summer learning, afterschool programs, distance learning, and emergency financial aid for college students as well as coordination with public health departments to mitigate the spread of disease.

Norcross is a member of the House Education and Labor Committee and serves as Chair of the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee on the House Armed Services Committee.

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Contact: Carrie Healey, Communications Director
carrie.healey@mail.house.gov