During this challenging time, Congressman Payne has taken decisive action to keep people safe and ensure that the economy keeps moving during the pandemic. He helped to pass vital pandemic relief  including stimulus checks and funding to keep small businesses afloat, as well as for investments in vaccine and testing capacity, masks and other important public health priorities:  

 

• Led the fight to get FEMA to open the Newark Community Vaccination Clinic at NJIT, which provided over 42,000 vaccines a week for New Jersey residents
   

• Worked with the Biden Administration to prioritize teachers for vaccine distribution
   

• Introduced the Masks for Students Act to ensure that FEMA would cover the costs of masks and other protective equipment for school districts during a public health emergency
   

• Supported direct payments and stimulus checks for struggling Americans as a part of the American Rescue plan (ARP) including direct payments of $1,400 per person, $300 per week increase in Unemployment Insurance, $20.3 billion for rental assistance payments, and $9.96 billion for mortgage assistance payments.
   

• Delivered COVID relief funding for public health priorities during the pandemic including: $15,453,750 for American Rescue Plan Act Funding for Health Centers, $820,590 for a variety of Ryan White HIV/AIDS supports for Education and Training Centers Program COVID-19 Response, $3,032,595 for Health Center (CARES) Act Funding to the City of Newark, Rutgers University, Newark Community Health Centers, and Saint James Health, and $1,272,357 for expanding capacity for coronavirus testing.
   

• Delivered funding to help Small Businesses stay afloat with a $7.25 billion increase (to $813.7 billion total) for SBA loans under PPP, including $25 billion for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.