Rep. Jim Banks, R-3rd, voted against coronavirus relief legislation approved overwhelmingly by the U.S. House early Saturday morning.

The northeast Indiana congressman was among 40 Republicans who opposed the bill on a 363-40 vote. The rest of Indiana's nine-member House delegation – six Republicans and two Democrats – voted in favor of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

"Some language will mean major harm for small businesses and our economy," Banks said in a statement.

His office referred to a message sent to House leaders from the National Federation of Independent Business, which objected to a provision of the legislation that would require employers with fewer than 500 workers to provide paid medical and family leave.

The bill, which also would provide free testing for the virus, expand unemployment assistance and increase spending on nutrition programs, will be considered this week by the Senate.

"Hope the Senate will take its time and make fixes to bill instead of rushing it like the House did," Banks tweeted Saturday afternoon.

He also tweeted: "There is much in this bill we need to pass, but as @NFIB said in their letter of opposition, the bill would 'impose potentially unsustainable mandates on small businesses' hurting not helping the backbone of our local economies."

The NFIB said in its letter opposing the legislation that "many small business owners simply cannot afford the cost of the new mandate at the same time as they experience increasingly slower sales" because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The advocacy organization said that businesses "may not stay afloat" in time to claim quarterly tax credits provided by the paid-leave provision.

The bill would require employers to provide 14 days of paid sick leave for at least two-thirds of a worker's pay. The provision applies to employees who have the coronavirus, are caring for a family member who has it or who are caring for children whose schools or child care facilities are closed.

"By requiring small businesses to shoulder additional burdens and costs, small businesses that cannot afford to keep up will close," the NFIB said in its message to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

McCarthy voted in favor of the bill, which was endorsed by President Donald Trump. "People really pulled together. Nice to see!" Trump tweeted Saturday about the House vote.

Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-2nd, whose district includes parts of Kosciusko County, voted for the proposal. She said in a statement that the legislation "will provide critical relief for working families impacted by coronavirus, including paid sick leave and nutrition assistance for low-income households with children whose schools are closed."

bfrancisco@jg.net