Law Commons^™

The Folly Of Credit As Pandemic Relief, Pamela Foohey, Dalie Jimenez, Chrisopher K. Odinet

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Within weeks of the coronavirus pandemic appearing in the United States, the American economy came to a grinding halt. The unprecedented modern health crisis and the collapsing economy forced Congress to make a critical choice about how to help families survive financially. Congress had two basic options. It could enact policies that provided direct and meaningful financial support to people, without the necessity of later repayment. Or it could pursue policies that temporarily relieved people from their financial obligations but required that they eventually pay amounts subject to payment moratoria later.

In passing the CARES Act, Congress primarily chose the …

How The Federal Reserve Should Help States And Localities Right Now, Darien Shanske, David Gamage

Articles by Maurer Faculty

The COVID-19 pandemic is a giant catastrophe, but the Federal Reserve can still mitigate the looming fiscal crises facing state and local governments. This article — a contribution to Project SAFE (State Action in Fiscal Emergencies) — builds on our prior background essay explaining state and local budget issues.

The Debt Collection Pandemic, Pamela Foohey, Dalie Jimenez, Chris Odinet

Articles by Maurer Faculty

To curb the rapid spread of the coronavirus set to overwhelm the United States' healthcare system, in mid-March 2020, the federal government declared a national emergency. Many states followed suit by implementing shelter-at-home orders and people began social distancing across America. As of this writing, the United States' reaction to the unique and alarming threat of COVID 19 has partially succeeded in slowing the virus's spread. Saving people's lives, however, has come at a severe economic cost. Economic activity plummeted. Unemployment numbers soured to figures not seen since the Great Depression and countless other people saw their income disappear.

Americans' …