[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 67 (Tuesday, April 7, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E354]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          MIDDLE CLASS HEALTH BENEFITS TAX REPEAL ACT OF 2019

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 27, 2020

  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 748 contains a critical provision that 
will be used to assist state and local governments in their response to 
the crisis engulfing our nation. Indeed, local governments are bearing 
the heavy burden of response with dwindling resources while helping 
terrified Americans manage as best they can. As the entities closest to 
the ground, these local governments are on the front line of the fight, 
and we must ensure they have adequate funding.
  This provision, Section 5001 of the CARES Act, provides that Treasury 
will provide assistance directly, and not through the State 
intermediary to units of local government with more than 500,000 
people. The provision, allows for a significantly broad definition of 
local governments and specifies that ``[t]he term `unit of local 
government' [includes] . . . other unit of general government below the 
State level with a population that exceeds 500,000.'' Section 5001 
explicitly allows any government that represents more than 500,000 and 
includes regional councils of government which are chartered under 
state law.
  In Ohio, Chapter 167 of the revised code provides broad authority for 
a regional council of government to act as a local unit of government, 
to plan, enter cooperative agreements related ``to matters affecting 
health, safety, welfare, education, economic conditions, and regional 
development.'' See Ohio Revised Code, Sec. 167.03.
  In drafting and approving H.R. 748, the House and Senate intended 
section 5001 to be administered liberally, and for Treasury and the 
Courts to construe the statute broadly so as to encompass all local 
government entities with more than 500,000 citizens to act directly, 
and not through the intermediary of a state government. In fact, the 
State of Ohio has specifically devolved local authority to the regional 
council of governments to act in the general welfare interests of their 
citizens as a unit of general government.
  As Treasury promulgates regulations to implement this statute, the 
law intends for these regional councils of government to act as a 
general unit of local government, and envisions them to be eligible to 
certify and receive the state stabilization dollars.

                          ____________________