(Greenville, SC) - Despite support from President Donald Trump calling for passage of House Resolution 6201: Families First Coronavirus Response Act, four members of the South Carolina Congressional delegation voted against its passage.
GOP Congressmen Joe Wilson (SC-2), Jeff Duncan (SC-3), William Timmons (SC-4) and Ralph Norman (SC-5) voted no. Joe Cunningham (SC-1) and Jim Clyburn (SC-6), the two Democrats in the delegation and the one remaining Republican, Tom Rice (SC-7) voted in favor of the emergency appropriations bill.
Third District Congressman Jeff Duncan issued the following statement following the passage of the bill:
March 14, 2020 Duncan on the Coronavirus Response Package Washington, D.C. – Congressman Jeff Duncan (SC-03) released the following statement on the second Coronavirus Response Package considered in the House of Representatives: “President Trump and his team have taken unprecedented actions to keep our nation safe and to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The Administration acted early, decisively, and thoroughly by employing a full government approach with a wide range of leaders and health experts to make the smartest decisions possible. I know President Trump’s objective is to keep every single American safe and healthy – I share this objective. “The final negotiated text of tonight’s coronavirus response bill was introduced just 20 minutes before the vote, without any time to adequately read or study the bill, without hearings, and with only 20 minutes of debate on the House floor. It was also a bill not solely focused on combatting the coronavirus, and it lacked proper flexibility for small businesses regarding the paid sick leave provisions – not to mention we have no clue what it costs. Because of this, I unfortunately couldn’t support the legislation. “This wasn’t a must-pass bill tonight. It was something that we should have taken our time on instead of operating under a false sense of urgency, which leads to bad legislation. I stand ready and willing to work in Congress to advance a targeted, smart, and measured approach to ensure the best possible outcome for our nation. However, we should have slowed down and thoroughly vetted the implications a bill like this would have on our nation.” On March 4, 2020, Congressman Jeff Duncan voted in favor of the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2020 to provide emergency funding to agencies and states tasked with combatting COVID-19. As a result of the legislation, South Carolina has been awarded over $8 million in grants for resources to prepare and stop the spread of the virus. More information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): HERE.
H.R. 6201 passed the US House of Represenatives by a vote of 363 to 40, with one Congressman voting "present" and 26 not voting. The bill now goes to the US Sentate.
