WASHINGTON, D.C.— Congressman Darin LaHood (R-IL) released the following statement after he voted in support of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

 “Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the health of Illinoisans has been my top priority. COVID-19 presents our nation with a clear threat to the health of our communities, and that’s why I supported the $8 billion funding package last week to provide resources to officials on the frontlines of the response and President Trump’s national disaster declaration on Friday.

 “The bipartisan Families First Coronavirus Response Act, negotiated by President Trump, Secretary Mnuchin, and Congress, will expand testing capabilities in our local communities, provide relief to workers and small businesses affected by the outbreak, ensure students out of school still have access to meals, and provide our state and local governments additional resources. I am pleased that cooler heads prevailed to expand our whole of government COVID-19 response, and I will continue to work with my colleagues, the Administration, and our state officials to support response efforts.

 “The ongoing spread of this virus deserves to be taken seriously, and the health and safety of Illinoisans come before anything else. Just because we are taking this outbreak seriously and taking precautionary measures, does not mean that now is a time to panic. The United States is the strongest nation on earth, and if we continue to prepare and make smart decisions, I am confident we will get through this.”

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