Congress continues to work on another economic stimulus legislative package, commonly referred to as Phase 4, to further address the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this summer, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 6800, The HEROES Act, totaling approximately $3 trillion in aid. The HEROES Act is the Phase 4 economic stimulus legislative package passed by the House focusing on economic stimulus funding for additional healthcare assistance, front line workers and first responders, and state and local government aid. NJCA worked with congressional leaders to include assistance for the Job Corps community in the House bill, including retaining capacity at Job Corps Centers, supporting activities for the centers to safely operate during the COVID-19 pandemic, and providing additional programmatic flexibilities for the program. 
 
The Senate is now working on its own Phase 4 economic stimulus package for consideration later this month. It is anticipated the Senate economic stimulus package will be narrower in scope than the HEROES Act and will limit the funding for the package to an estimated $1 trillion. The Senate package is expected to focus on correcting mistakes made in the Phase 3 economic stimulus package (CARES Act), healthcare, education, small business loans, and liability protections for employers. The release of the Senate version of the Phase 4 economic stimulus package is anticipated during the week of July 20, 2020.

As Congress considers additional plans to stimulate our country’s economy, NJCA has made clear to congressional leaders that investments in Job Corps can simultaneously meet the needs of young Americans while assisting in the economic recovery of communities nationwide. NJCA is actively working with Senate Job Corps champions during this crisis, educating them about the important steps the Job Corps community is taking to keep students and staff safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.