Richmond Leader

Washington, D.C. – On May 11, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) voted against H.R. 1163, the Surprise Billing Our Workers Act, to protect the financial well-being of hardworking Americans and families after the years of economic turmoil caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

H.R. 1163 would:

• Send surprise bills to workers who received accidental overpayments through no fault of their own. It would allow states to target hardworking Americans for up to 10 years after an overpayment occurred.
• Cut federal investments in fighting fraud by $400 million over the next 5 years, weakening successful anti-fraud programs and letting criminals off the hook. According to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), this bill would be a net cut in federal investment in strengthening unemployment insurance (UI) and preventing fraud.
• Undermines state employee unions by allowing states to contract out jobs, despite evidence that temporary use of contractors during the pandemic led to errors and contributed to missed fraud.

“UI programs passed by congressional Democrats during the pandemic helped stave off a deeper economic crisis and financial instability for millions of American workers. Now, House Republicans attempt to jeopardize the economic security of our workforce while stripping crucial anti-fraud protections from these programs,” continued Congresswoman McClellan. “The Surprise Billing Our Workers Act would leave UI programs vulnerable, undercut public service jobs in favor of a privatized workforce, and make the lives of everyday Americans more difficult. I voted against this legislation, because hardworking Virginians deserve better.”

H.R. 1163 passed the House on a vote of 230 yeas to 200 nays. Read the bill text here.

Original source can be found here