U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann applauds the House passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.
“I am proud to have secured critical funding for East Tennessee in my role on the House Appropriations Committee," said Rep. Fleischmann. "From the Chickamauga Lock, to the Oak Ridge Reservation, and the Chattanooga Federal courthouse I will never cease fighting for East Tennessee’s priorities,” Fleischmann continued. “I am also glad to see funding to combat the COVID-19 pandemic included in this package of legislation. This funding will help the students, families, front-line medical workers, and small businesses who have been impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Background:
East Tennessee:
Full funding for Chickamauga Lock
Full funding ($750M) for the Uranium Processing Facility at Y-12
Strong overall support for Oak Ridge National Laboratory, including HFIR and SNS, supercomputing, and the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility
Strong funding to continue nuclear cleanup at the Oak Ridge Reservation (over $440M total)
Secures funding for multiple public-private partnerships in the energy space
$25 million and report language in Fish and Wildlife Service to control Asian carp, including $3 million for contract fishing
Funding for the Federal courthouse in Chattanooga, TN
Combating COVID-19:
Supporting our Working Families and Students
$600 stimulus checks per individual/child ($1,200 per married couple)
Capped at $75,000 gross adjusted income per individual ($150,000 for married couples)
Providing Relief to our Small Businesses
Provides over $280 billion to reopen and strengthen the PPP program
Creates a simplified PPP loan forgiveness application for loans under $150,000
Allows employers to deduct PPP related businesses expenses
Repeals CARES Act provision that requires PPP borrowers to deduct their EIDL advance from their PPP loan forgiveness amount
Extends the repayment period of deferred payroll taxes through Dec. 31, 2021
Penalties and interest on deferred unpaid tax liability will not accrue until Jan. 1, 2022
Producing and Distributing a Cure
Nearly $20 billion for the production of vaccines and therapeutics, covering the cost for everyone who needs it
$8.75 billion for distribution of vaccines. This includes cold chain, advance freezers, and supporting state efforts
$3 billion for the national stockpile
Protecting our Physicians
Many of our physicians expected to see payment reductions in 2021. (This is the “E&M code” issue that many specialty physicians have been concerned about.) We prevent at least 2/3 of these cuts from going through by establishing:
A three-year delay of a new add-on code that reduces reimbursement to specialty providers
A $3 billion across the board increase in physician payments in 2021
Three additional months of Medicare sequester relief
Ways to allow more providers to access Alternative Payment Model bonuses, giving physicians added incentives to provide high-quality and cost-efficient care
An additional $20 billion distribution from the Provider Relief Fund to help doctors who have had to reduce services