WASHINGTON, D.C. – Energy and Commerce Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) and Subcommittee on Health Republican Leader Dr. Michael Burgess (R-TX) released the following statement on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans to disburse the second round of provider payments authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

“We thank Secretary Azar and HHS officials for making good on their commitment to bring equity to provider relief payments as they continue to disburse funding provided in the CARES Act. Providers with large Medicaid and Medicare Advantage patient populations, as well as those in rural areas and hot spots, are also facing enormous financial hardships. We are hopeful this additional relief – paired with the administration’s relaxing of restrictions on elective procedures in certain areas – will help ease the burden on hospitals and other health care providers around the country. We also commend the administration for their efforts to cover the cost of care for those who are uninsured. Our nation is navigating unprecedented challenges. We must keep our eye on the ball to ensure patients can continue to access the care they need, regardless of where they live or their socioeconomic status, and we thank each and every health care provider working around the clock to provide care to Americans during this difficult time,” said Walden and Burgess.

Background:

The CARES Act allocated $100 billion for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund to help providers and other health care entities that are responding to the coronavirus pandemic. Leaders Walden and Burgess released a statement on April 14, 2020 after receiving assurances from HHS they would prioritize rural areas, hot spots, and providers with large Medicare Advantage and Medicaid patient populations in forthcoming payments. Today, HHS announced they would provide $400 million for Indian Health Service facilities, $10 billion for COVID-19 hot spots, $10 billion for rural providers, and $20 billion to shore up the first round of payments, as well as the opening of a portal for providers to submit claims to help cover the costs associated with caring for uninsured patients. Providers can find more information on this additional relief HERE. 

HHS already disbursed $30 billion to nearly 500,000 providers based on Medicare fee-for-service data from fiscal year 2019. The portal for providers to sign an attestation confirming receipt of these funds launched the week of April 13, 2020. Recipients have 30 days to complete the required filing. You can find that information HERE.

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Public health officials say it’s going to take a substantial number of workers to track and contain the coronavirus. The endeavor is one leaders say is necessary in completely returning the country as close to normal as possible.

To coax more people into those roles in public health Tri-County Health Department Director Dr. John Douglas pitched an idea for a loan repayment program for those workers.

Aurora Congressman Jason Crow introduced the bill to establish the program this week with Republican co-sponsor Congressman Michael Burgess of Texas. It stipulates that eligible individuals must either be in their final year of a degree or certificate related to public health or have graduated within the past decade and plan to work in local, state or tribal public health.

A three-year service commitment to public health is also required to earn the loan repayment. Each eligible person could receive up to $105,000, Crow said.

“For many students, it isn’t economically feasible for them to enter into public service, especially given the high cost of many health care and medical programs. I’m grateful to Congressman Crow for pursuing this idea and making it into a reality,” Douglas said in a statement. “Not only will it help encourage the next generation of public health leaders, but we can better increase our nation’s preparedness for problems such as the current coronavirus pandemic.”

Crow told the Sentinel the bill came together as he was talking to the Tri-County team about what resources are needed to combat the current COVID-19 pandemic. Capacity was a major theme in those conversations, he said.

A lot of health care workers will be needed between now and when a coronavirus vaccine becomes available, which could be one to two years. Those workers will likely participate in testing — which Crow said still faces a national shortage — and contact tracing, where health care workers lead an investigation, hopefully informing all of the people that have come in contact with an infected person once they test positive.

It’s not clear yet what tracing the virus could look like across the U.S. The World Health Organization reported that approximately 9,000 contact tracers were hired in Wuhan, China, where the disease originated.

New Zealand and Iceland have also implemented trackers into their public health mechanisms. Many researchers believe those models are viable in the U.S.

The National Association of State and Territorial Health Organizations estimates that the U.S. needs somewhere between 100,000 and 300,000 specialists to track and contain COVID-19.

“For COVID-19, we need an unprecedented and rapid scale-up of the public health workforce dedicated to case identification and contact tracing. Estimates vary as to how many workers are needed, depending on the size of the state and the true size of its outbreak (confirmed by diagnostic testing),” the center wrote in a recent report. “Contact tracing is particularly resource intensive, and, as cases rise, more individuals will be needed to ensure comprehensive contact tracing of all confirmed cases can be done.”

That’s no easy feat.

Federal funding for public health preparedness has been reduced by 28 percent over the last 15 years, according to the National Association of County and City Health Officials. The 2008 recession also took a toll on public health, eliminating at least 50,000 jobs.

Crow’s bill would appropriates $100 million for fiscal year 2020 and $75 million for fiscal years 2021 through 2025 for the program.

“This won’t solve the issue, but it’ll be big in carving into the problem,” Crow said, highlighting that with bipartisan support, the future for the bill becoming law is optimistic.

Published here. 

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), joined by Congressmen Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), Roger Williams (R-TX), Mike Conaway (R-TX), Bill Flores (R-TX), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Chip Roy (R-TX), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Ron Estes (R-KS) Tom Cole (R -OK) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation that will provide $3 billion in funding to purchase crude oil produced in the United States for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR).

The legislation comes when American Energy Producers need help due to American oil prices plummeting because of COVID-19. It also supports the request made by President Donald J. Trump and Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette to fill the SPR. 

“Today's energy markets are in crisis due to the impact of COVID-19 on our economy. In March, the Trump administration requested funding from Congress to fill the SPR. This action would improve the energy security of the United States, save taxpayer money, and address the shortage of storage for crude oil, while also giving American producers a brief window of relief to make plans for the new realities in the marketplace,” said Congressman Burgess. “Unfortunately, partisan politics prevented Congress from including this request in previous COVID-19 response packages. This is why I helped introduce legislation that would answer the President's call. This legislation would appropriate $3 billion to the Department of Energy in order to fill the SPR. This is a targeted, prudent action that would allow the department to act quickly to address a temporary oversupply of oil in the market. This is good for taxpayers, energy producers, and America's energy security. As future response packages are debated, I hope this bill will be included.”

“Our nation’s oil industry is essential to our economic and national security, and we need to do all we can to support our oil and gas workers. Given the challenges in our energy markets, we need to pass this legislation to fund the purchase of U.S. crude for the SPR and help alleviate supply pressures,” said Senator Hoeven, who is introducing the Senate bill. “This legislation supports a crucial U.S. industry and its workers, as well as the American taxpayers who will benefit from greater economic and national security.”

“Foreign manipulation of oil prices and the economic effects of COVID-19 are threatening America’s energy independence,” said Representative Armstrong. “The U.S. energy industry strengthens our national security and is a major economic driver, employing millions of workers directly and indirectly. The purchase of oil for the nation’s strategic reserves will help domestic producers withstand these forces outside their control and protect our energy security.”

“The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is a vital tool for ensuring American energy independence and national security in times of crisis,” said Congressman Williams. “Funding for this important program should have been included in the CARES Act in the first place, but was left out due to the Green New Deal agenda of the radical left. I am proud to support this stand-alone bill that not only protects taxpayers by capitalizing on historically low prices, but will help our Texan producers and workers pull through the devastating challenges they are facing in the midst of this pandemic.

“America’s domestic oil and gas producers are vital to both Texas and the nation. They provide clean, safe, and low-cost energy for consumers and manufacturers while supporting jobs and ensuring national security,” said Congressman Flores. “Yet, the energy independence we have spent decades building is now under threat. This bill provides much needed relief to the thousands of businesses and their employees in Texas that directly and indirectly rely on oil and gas producers. It also represents a smart investment for the American taxpayer by purchasing millions of barrels of oil to restock the Strategic Petroleum Reserve while costs are low. Congress must pass this legislation as quickly as possible to provide immediate assistance and protect our national security.”

“Millions of hard-working Americans are employed by the oil and gas industry, to include thousands right in my congressional district,” said Congressman McCaul. “Funding the SPR will directly support these jobs and keep industry afloat. This is a strategic move that will allow us to hit the ground running when global demand rises again.”

“It’s past due for Congress to act on President Trump’s request to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and provide relief to our oil and gas producers,” said Congressman Marshall. “These producers are responsible for employing thousands of workers in rural communities across Kansas. They have a far-reaching impact on every American’s national security and are responsible for keeping the lights on for our first responders, hospitals, military bases, and homes across the country.”

“The United States should not pass up this historic opportunity to fill our Strategic Petroleum Reserve,” said Congressman LaMalfa. “The world will begin to reopen soon, and this short-term dip in the price of crude oil won’t last. Unfounded concerns from Green New Deal advocates have prevented America from filling the SPR before, but the current energy market requires that we act quickly to secure additional oil at a reasonable cost. This legislation is good for the taxpayer and America’s energy security, and I urge for its swift passage.”

“During this global health crisis, it’s imperative that we support our oil and gas workers in Kansas and throughout the country,” said Congressman Estes. “This legislation not only provides relief for our energy producers, but it improves our economic and national security. The President requested funding for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve six weeks ago, and it’s time that Congress takes action on this critical issue.”

“While numerous industries have been helped during this national emergency, it is high time to reinforce our vital energy sector through purchase of crude oil for our country’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve,” said Congressman Cole. “Doing so not only protects the livelihoods of our oil and gas producers and their families, but it reaffirm the importance of domestic energy security. As a sponsor of this critical legislation, I am proud to stand with American oil and gas producers and the millions of hardworking Americans whose jobs they support.”

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Senator John Hoeven issued the following statement after U.S. Representatives Lizzie Fletcher and Michael Burgess introduced the House companion bill to legislation Hoeven is leading in the U.S. Senate to provide $3 billion in funding to purchase crude oil produced in the United States for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). Earlier this month, Hoeven lead a bicameral and bipartisan group in announcing the legislation. Click here for the bill text.

'Our nation's oil industry is essential to our economic and national security, and we need to do all we can to support our oil and gas workers. Given the challenges in our energy markets we need to pass this legislation to fund the purchase of U.S. crude for the SPR and help relieve supply pressures,' said Hoeven. 'This legislation supports a crucial U.S. industry and its workers, as well as the American taxpayers who benefit from greater economic and national security'

The legislation is being cosponsored by Senators John Cornyn, Kevin Cramer, Ted Cruz, Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, John Barrasso, and Jim Inhofe in the Senate. The House bill is being cosponsored by Representatives Kelly Armstrong, Henry Cuellar, Kendra Horn, Roger Williams, Vicente Gonzalez, Mike Conaway, Marc Veasey, Bill Flores, Michael McCaul, Chip Roy, Roger Marshall, Doug LaMalfa, Ron Estes and Tom Cole.

Published here. 

Published here.