(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD) today joined Reps. Seth Moulton (D-MA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) in sending a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy urging them to support nonprofits in the next round of coronavirus disaster relief. More than 140 Members of Congress and dozens of the nation’s leading national nonprofits joined in the call to action.
The Members wrote: “Charitable nonprofits are significant employers ready to serve. The 12 million people working for America’s charities are the backbone of our communities: the food banks, shelters, domestic violence services, houses of worship, early care and education centers, after-school facilities, and more that are being called on to feed, house and care for people whose lives have been disrupted by sickness, closures, and job loss. Cities and states are relying on nonprofits to help mitigate the impact of the pandemic. We will continue to rely on the experience, expertise, and ingenuity of the sector during future recovery efforts. As we work to build on the CARES Act in the next relief package, we cannot overlook the needs of these community-based institutions and must ensure that charitable nonprofits are fully supported in their service on the front lines of responding to the COVID-19 crisis.”
The Members outlined what they’d like to see in the next relief bill, including: Expanding access for nonprofits in disaster relief programs including the Paycheck Protection Program, increasing the unemployment insurance reimbursement for self-insured nonprofits struggling to pay furloughed employees, and strengthening tax incentives so more Americans donate to nonprofits in this era of economic uncertainty.
The full text of the letter is available here.
The letter was endorsed by the following nonprofits: Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, American Alliance of Museums, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Council of the Blind, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Americans for the Arts, Association of Art Museum Directors, Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, Bethany Christian Services, Boys and Girls Club of America, Catholic Charities USA, ChildFund International, Council of Michigan Foundations, Council on Foundations, Covenant House, Ducks Unlimited, Embrace Relief, Faith & Giving Coalition, Food for the Hungry, Forefront, Girl Scouts of the USA, Girls Inc., Goodwill Industries International, Inc., Grantmakers in the Arts, Habitat for Humanity International, Helping Hand for Relief and Development, Human Rights for Kids, IHC Global, Independent Sector, InterAction, Jewish Federations of North America, KABOOM!, League of American Orchestras, Lutheran Services in America, March of Dimes, Mental Health America, Mercy Corps, Minnesota Council on Foundations, National Council of Nonprofits, National Health Council, National Indian Child Welfare Association, National MS Society, Philanthropy Colorado, Philanthropy Delaware, Philanthropy Massachusetts, Philanthropy New York, Philanthropy West Virginia, Physicians for Peace, Project HOPE, The Red Cross, RTI International, SPOON, The Henry Ford Museum, The Jewish Federations of North America, The Nature Conservancy, UNICEF USA, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, United Philanthropy Forum, United Way Worldwide, United Way of Delaware, World Vision US, YMCA of the USA.
The letter was signed by the following Members: Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick, Seth Moulton, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Elise Stefanik, Joe Neguse, Sheila Jackson Lee, Chris Pappas, Mary Gay Scanlon, Joyce Beatty, Tom Malinowski, Jim Cooper, Alan Lowenthal, Betty McCollum, Tony Cárdenas, Angie Craig, John Katko, Bennie Thompson, Jamie Raskin, Lori Trahan, Peter DeFazio, Max Rose, Ted Deutch, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Cindy Axne, Debbie Dingell, James McGovern, Doris Matsui, Mary Gay Scanlon, Jim Himes, Wm. Lacy Clay, John Larson, Carolyn Maloney, Paul Tonko, Adam Smith, Jim Costa, John Sarbanes, Harley Rouda, Scott Peters, Steve Cohen, Ed Case, David Cicilline, Marcia Fudge, Blunt Rochester, Bradley Schneider, Chellie Pingree, David Trone, Dean Phillips, Joe Kennedy, Joe Courtney, Yvette Clarke, TJ Cox, Suzan DelBene, Val Demings, Jared Huffman, Mike Quigley, Lizzie Fletcher, Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., Joseph Morelle, Ron Kind, Thomas Suozzi, Deb Haaland, Josh Harder, Eliot Engel, Kathleen Rice, John Yarmuth, Donna Shalala, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Jason Crow, Juan Vargas, Zoe Lofgren, Kendra Horn, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Diana DeGette, David Price, Fred Upton, Donald Norcross, Darren Soto, Barbara Lee, Julia Brownley, Gilbert Cisneros, G. K. Butterfield, Anthony Brown, Mike Gallagher, Linda Sanchez, Alcee Hastings, Derek Kilmer, Al Green, Emanuel Cleaver II, Steve Stivers, Alma Adams, Suzanne Bonamici, Frederica Wilson, Salud Carbajal, Jefferson Van Drew, Rick Larsen, Marcy Kaptur, Jahana Hayes, Marc Veasey, Hank Johnson, Sean Casten, Bill Keating, Susan Wild, Elissa Slotkin, Tom Cole, Brenda Lawrence, Bill Foster, Albio Sires, Andy Kim, Brendan Boyle, Josh Gottheimer, Sean Patrick Maloney, Susan Brooks, Rashida Tlaib, Michael McCaul, Donald S. Beyer, Grace Meng, Vicente Gonzalez, Gerald Connolly, Adriano Espaillat, Collin Allred, Dave Loebsack, Al Lawson, Rodney Davis, Sylvia Garcia, Andy Levin, Jim Banks, Dan Kildee, Filemon Vela, Jesus G. “Chuy” Garcia, Bill Huizenga, Ayanna Pressley, Henry Cuellar, Peter T. King, Veronica Escobar, Ted W. Lieu, Ilhan Omar, Charlie Crist, Will Hurd, Donald M. Payne, Jr., Steven Horsford, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, and Haley M. Stevens.
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