The Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), today announced that his panel is exploring tax policy options to respond to the coronoavirus. "While we continue to assess the economic impacts, Chairman Grassley is exploring the possibility of targeted tax relief measures that could provide a timely and effective response to the coronavirus," a press statement explains.

Yesterday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) issued a joint statement noting their desire to work with the Administration "on a coordinated, government-wide plan to respond to the coronavirus." 

The Pelosi/Schumer statement lists the following policy options worthy of consideration:

• Paid Sick Leave: workers impacted by quarantine orders or responsible for caring for children impacted by school closures must receive paid sick leave to alleviate the devastating consequences of lost wages;
• Enhanced Unemployment Insurance: we must ensure unemployment insurance benefits are available and sufficient for workers who may lose their jobs from the economic impacts of the epidemic;
• Food Security: we must expand SNAP, WIC, school lunch and other initiatives and suspend implementation of any regulations that weaken federal food assistance, in order to ensure vulnerable populations do not lose access to food during this epidemic;
• Clear Protections for Frontline Workers: we must have clear standards and sufficient distribution of necessary protective equipment for health care and other workers who are in contact with people who have been exposed or are suffering from the virus as well as the people responsible for cleaning buildings and public facilities;
• Widespread and Free Coronavirus Testing: to control the spread of coronavirus, the administration must ensure that all Americans who need an evaluation are able to access locations for cost-free testing and rapidly increase the unacceptably low daily test processing capacity inside the U.S.; 
• Affordable Treatment for All: patients must be reimbursed for any non-covered coronavirus-related costs, or else the epidemic will be worsened because Americans will fear they cannot afford the costs associated with treatment; 
• Anti-price Gouging Protections: we must ensure that Americans are protected from price gouging of medical and non-medical essentials during this emergency; and
• Increase Capacity of Medical System: we must use our emergency response mechanisms to mobilize resources and facilities in order to respond to surges in demand.

The president and administration officials have raised or discussed several potential tax policy responses to the coronavirus in recent days. The president suggested a payroll tax cut to House Democrats in a tweet last week. Also, White House National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow says the administration is weighing "timely and targeted microforms of assistance, not gargantuan, across-the-board, throw money at the problem, which has not worked in the past."

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