UPDATED: 2:36 p.m.
The HEROES Act, or the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act, is the fifth proposed legislation related to the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
The bill establishes a $200 billion dollar COVID-19 Heroes Fund to ensure essential workers get hazard pay.
"Many of them have risked their lives to save lives and they may lose their jobs. For many this is just what is happening right now as governors across the country are planning their budgets," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
According to Pelosi, the bill includes many pieces already agreed on in bipartisan fashion, such as assistance to state, local, tribal and U.S. territory governments, as well as more direct payments to Americans, another boost to the CARES Act, and additional funding for testing, tracing and treatments.
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Democratic Rep. Madeline Dean, who represents hard-hit Montgomery and Berks counties, said that while the bill may not be perfect, it needs to be passed.
"It’s about getting money to those people who are most in need, to governments that are most in need, municipalities most in need," she said. "Also in the bill is support for our postal service, which is in grave jeopardy."
Dean said economists warned of doing too little too late, and recognized upwards of 800 lives lost in her district alone.
"The vast, vast majority of this bill is important resources for people who are sacrificing, who are suffering, who are the heroes all around us," she said. "I'm not going to sit around for the perfect and keep everyone else at bay."
Republicans say some measures have nothing to do with the coronavirus pandemic, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called the bill a liberal wish list.
"It takes away safeguards for small businesses when it comes to liability, it adds funding for Planned Parenthood, it adds funding for illegals instead of Americans, it talks about cannabis, it talks about releasing from prison some of the most dangerous people that we know," McCarthy argued.
He added, "They wanted to change election law - it was the number 1 most important bill - H.R. 1," referring to the For the People Act of 2019. "It's in here. That's why it didn't go through committee because it never could be passed. That's why it's not bipartisan cause no one would support it.
On the House floor, Rep. Scott Perry, who represents Dauphin County as well as parts of Cumberland and York counties, including Harrisburg, echoed Republicans in the Senate.
"Spending more money, sending more money to buttress failed policies don't fix the polices." he said. "They don't fix anything, they don't help anyone. Let's fix the policies, let's make sure the people get the money that we sent to them instead of just sending more."
Perry cited issues with the previous coronavirus relief bills that passed.
"The unemployment compensation money that we sent to Pennsylvania takes 41 days right now to have your claim answered. People can not exist on polices and promises. They need money," he protested.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell previously said it's time to hit "pause" on negotiating another coronavirus bill, electing to see how the other coronavirus relief bills play out before another one is passed. He also said he wanted to work with the White House on the next relief measure.