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Kinzinger Touts Big Wins for the American People in Year-End COVID Relief Package

On December 21, 2020, Congress passed the fifth COVID-19 relief package, H.R. 133. This package extends the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and other unemployment programs established in the CARES Act. The package includes a second round of stimulus payments to send relief directly to Americans and provides almost $50 billion to ensure vaccines are free for all Americans, while bolstering vaccine distribution and testing. It also provides additional funding to our farmers and agriculture sector, education and childcare systems, opioid and substance abuse programs, increases SNAP benefits, and much more. The measure was signed into law by President Trump on December 27, 2020. You can read the full text of the bill here, and Congressman Kinzinger’s press release on his ‘YES’ vote here.

**Economic Impact Payments**

The U.S. Department of the Treasury is beginning to process these recent payments and will have updated information on their website here. 

Please sign up here to receive emailed updates from the Office of Congressman Kinzinger on the latest developments and legislative efforts surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. To learn more about this respiratory disease and stay up-to-date on the situation, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website here.

"The coronavirus pandemic has forced the world into a monumental economic and public health crisis. Small and large businesses have closed, airlines are grounded, hospitals are overrun, and many people are suffering as a result. Congress had to act to preserve jobs and wages, and to prevent this virus from destroying the American way of life. And while our work here undoubtedly continues, I remain committed to joining my colleagues in developing policies that will address this pandemic and support the American people—providing the necessary resources that our first responders, medical personnel, and small businesses desperately need. The journey ahead will be long and challenging for all Americans. But we can and will rise to the occasion and serve as an example for the world as we utilize our ingenuity, work ethic, and moral compass to guide us. We must remember that we are in this together, united as one nation under God, and the sacrifices we make now will put us on a stronger path to a brighter future."
- Congressman Adam Kinzinger 

What Congress is Doing:

Phase 1:

On March 4, 2020, Congressman Kinzinger joined his colleagues in passing the first emergency coronavirus package (H.R. 6074), which was signed into law by President Trump on March 6, 2020. This package included $7.8 billion in emergency funds to increase testing capabilities across the country, bolster state and local response efforts, provide relief to small businesses, and purchase essential equipment and supplies. You can read the full text of the bill here, and you can read a summary of the bill here.

Phase 2:

On March 14, 2020, Congressman Kinzinger joined his colleagues in passing the second emergency coronavirus package (H.R. 6201), which was signed into law by President Trump on March 18, 2020. This package included paid sick and medical leave for workers, required insurance companies to cover the cost of testing for COVID-19, increased access to telehealth, and established emergency nutritional assistance for those in need. You can read the full text of the bill here, and you can read a summary of the bill here.

Phase 3:

On March 27, 2020, Congress passed the third emergency coronavirus package (H.R. 748, as amended) by voice vote, which was later signed into law by President Trump on that same day. This package provided almost $2 trillion in relief, including direct financial assistance to middle-class Americans, funds to support health care workers and hospitals, emergency loans for small businesses, expanded unemployment insurance, and directs funds to state and local governments. You can read the full text of the bill here, and you can read a summary of the bill here. 

On December 21, 2020, Congress passed the fifth COVID-19 relief package, H.R. 133. This package extends the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and other unemployment programs established in the CARES Act. The package includes a second round of stimulus payments to send relief directly to Americans and provides almost $68 billion to ensure vaccines are free for all Americans, while bolstering vaccine distribution and testing. It also provides additional funding to our farmers and agriculture sector, education and childcare systems, opioid and substance abuse programs, increases SNAP benefits, and much more. The measure was signed into law by President Trump on December 27, 2020. You can read the full text of the bill here, and Congressman Kinzinger’s press release on his vote here.

Phase 6:

On March 10, 2021, Congress passed the sixth COVID-19 relief package, H.R. 1319. This package extends pandemic unemployment programs, sends a $1,400 stimulus payment to individuals and dependents, provides aid to state and local governments, directs additional funding to expand testing and vaccine capacity, and also includes funds for restaurants, small businesses, schools, and more. The measure was signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021. You can read the full text of the bill here, and Congressman Kinzinger’s press release on his vote here.

More Legislative Actions:
Click here for a full list of legislative actions by Congressman Kinzinger as part of his coronavirus response efforts.

Information on the COVID-19 Vaccine:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), health care providers, and other partners to make sure people can easily get a COVID-19 vaccine. There is no federal or state mandate to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and the CDC recommends the vaccine to all Americans 16 and over.

As your representative, I understand that many in Illinois’ Sixteenth District have concerns about getting the COVID-19 vaccine as they become available in the United States. Safety is a top priority, and there are many reasons to get vaccinated: suppressing the spread of the virus, saving as many lives as possible, and rebuilding our economy.

Government Leaders including President Biden, Vice President Harris, Congressional Leadership, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and former U.S. Presidents Trump, Obama, G.W. Bush, Clinton and Carter, and former Vice President Pence have or plan to receive the vaccine to illustrate its safety and effectiveness. While more COVID-19 vaccines are being developed as quickly as possible, routine processes and procedures remain in place to ensure the safety of any vaccine that is authorized or approved for use.

Illinois is currently in Phase 1A, 1B, and 1B+ of vaccine distribution. These phases prioritize health care personnel, long-term care residents and staff, those over 65 years old, persons aged 16 to 64 years old with high-risk medical conditions, and non-healthcare frontline essential workers. While the federal government will continue to make recommendations on COVID-19 vaccine distribution, the IDPH, under direction of the Illinois State Government, has jurisdiction over COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Please be assured I will keep your views in mind as I continue monitoring the Illinois State Government’s COVID-19 response.

The State of Illinois has a COVID-19 website where you can check if you are eligible for the vaccine and track locations administering it. It is recommended to contact your doctor for guidance and monitor Illinois’ COVID-19 website. Please access the website here.

- Learn More About Illinois’ State COVID-19 Response here.

- Learn More About the COVID-19 vaccine from the CDC here.

- Learn More About the COVID-19 vaccine from the National Institute of Health here.

- Find out who is representing you in the IL State legislature here. 

For more information on payments for economic impacts cause by COVID-19, please be sure to check the IRS website here for answers to frequently asked questions.

Congressional Operations:

In consultation with the Office of the Attending Physician, the House and Senate Sergeants at Arms have extended access limitations throughout the Capitol Complex until an assessment of prevailing community pandemic health conditions allows for access restrictions to begin to be lifted.  These temporary limitations are extended given the ongoing COVID-19 concerns. At this time, U.S. Capitol & Library of Congress tours are not being scheduled until further notice. For any questions or rescheduling of tours/meetings, please call the Congressman’s D.C. Office at (202) 225-3635 or send a message through the website here.

As announced on March 12, 2020, the Office of Congressman Kinzinger is currently following guidance from the House Administration Committee and Sergeant at Arms Office by taking the necessary precautions for safety in the Washington, D.C. office and the 16th Congressional District locations, and the Office will continue to take steps that will best protect both visitors and staff. 

White House Message:

More details can be found on the White House website here.


Illinois Response:

Please see here for the latest on where Illinois stands in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you or a loved one is struggling with the stress of this COVID-19 pandemic, the Illinois Department of Human Services has set up an emotional support text-line to help. People seeking the ‘Call4Calm’ assistance should text TALK to 552020 for English or text HABLAR for Spanish. The service is free and confidential, and more information can be found online here.

For more Illinois updates and resources, please see the Illinois State Government's COVID-19 response website here.

Guidance From the CDC:

Be sure to continue checking coronavirus.gov for the latest, updated information on the pandemic.

Remember that symptoms can take 2-14 days to appear after being exposed to the virus.

If you’re feeling sick or showing signs consistent with the known COVID-19 symptoms:

• Call your doctor & share your symptoms before going into visit that health facility
• Monitor your symptoms and stay home to self-quarantine for at least 10 days.

Information for Seniors:

AARP has put together a number of resources together for their members on the coronavirus concerns. You can access this information at https://www.aarp.org/coronavirus.

The same resources are available in Spanish here: https://www.aarp.org/elcoronavirus.


Additional Healthcare Resources:

Center for Disease Control or call 800-232-INFO

National Institutes of Health

Illinois Department of Health


Educational Resources for Families:
** On Friday, March 20, 2020, President Trump announced that the Education Department would not enforce federal standardized testing requirements for K-12 schools and would allow federal student loan borrowers to suspend payments for at least 60 days without penalty.**

On Friday, April 17, 2020, Governor Pritzker announced that both public and private schools in Illinois will remain closed for in-person learning for the remainder of the academic school year. Illinois will receive about $569 million in federal funding from the CARES Act to help schools equip their students and teachers with the resources they need to complete their online-based education. More on the Governor's announcement and the wi-fi hotspot map for Illinois students can be found here.

Please click here to see a full list of recommended resources for learning at home, as well as ways to 'get out of the house' from your living room through virtual tours of some major landmarks and attractions in D.C. and Illinois.

**Economic Impact Payments**

The IRS announced on March 12, 2021 will begin delivering the third Economic Impact Payments (EIP). Automatic payments for 2019 or 2020 filers who chose direct deposit would start to go out this week and next week. If you are a non-filer, the IRS has information on how to get the Economic Impact Payment as well as a form to fill out on their website here.

Following approval of the American Rescue Plan Act, the first batch of payments will be sent by direct deposit, which some recipients will start receiving as early as March 2021. Additional batches of payments will be sent in the coming weeks by direct deposit and through the mail as a check or debit card. The vast majority of these payments will be by direct deposit.

No action is needed by most taxpayers; the payments will be automatic and, in many cases, similar to how people received the first and second round of Economic Impact Payments in 2020. 

For those interested in checking the status of their payments, please visit the IRS website and check out their tool under “Get My Payment” here. 

For those looking to calculate their Economic Impact Payment, check out this helpful calculator here.

More information can be found on the IRS website regarding Economic Impact Payments here.

Please be aware that many unofficial sources and scams exist that use targeted COVID-19 language. Best practices on what you can do to avoid these malign activities can be found at the following: (FTC Resource Guide) (Security.Org Resource Guide)

At this time, constituents are encouraged to claim missing Economic Impact Payments as Recovery Rebate Credit when filing for 2020 taxes. Please see below for more information on Recovery Rebate Credit

Recovery Rebate Credit and other benefits

IRS Free File is all taxpayers need to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit and other tax benefits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

In 2020, the IRS issued two Economic Impact Payments as part of the economic stimulus efforts. The first payments were up to $1,200 person and $500 per qualifying child. The second payments were up to $600 per eligible person and $600 per qualifying child.

For 2021, eligible taxpayers who did not receive the full amount, can claim it as the Recovery Rebate Credit when they file their 2020 tax return. Use IRS Free File to file and claim this important benefit.

IRS Free File also can be used by working families to claim EITC, which provides a refundable tax credit based on income and family size.

Taxpayers also are reminded that unemployment benefits paid by states are taxable income. States should send Forms 1099-G to those who received jobless benefits.

Who can claim the Recovery Rebate Credit?

Eligible individuals who did not receive the full amounts of both Economic Impact Payments may claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2020 Form 1040 or 1040-SR. To determine whether you are an eligible individual or the amount of your Recovery Rebate Credit, complete the Recovery Rebate Credit Worksheet in the Instructions for Form 1040 and Form 1040-SR.

Generally, you are eligible to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit if you were a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien in 2020, cannot be claimed as a dependent of another taxpayer for tax year 2020, and have a Social Security number valid for employment that is issued before the due date of your 2020 tax return (including extensions).

You must file Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit even if you are normally not required to file a tax return. Anyone with income of $72,000 or less can file their Federal tax return electronically for free through the IRS Free File Program. Free File is a public-private partnership between the IRS and many filing and tax preparation software providers who provide their brand-name products for free. The safest and fastest way to get a tax refund is to combine electronic filing with Direct Deposit.

Learn more here.

Information for Small Businesses:

For more information on how the latest coronavirus relief package (CARES Act) impacts small businesses, please see the attached PDF here.

For more information on the ‘Small Business Paycheck Protection Program’ that was established through the CARES Act, please see the attached PDF here or visit the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) website for frequently asked questions. 

*** The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) received additional funding in the Phase 5 legislation, signed into law on December 27, 2020, and the enrollment process is now open until March 31, 2021. All information can be found here. ***