Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), a member of the House Rules Committee and Republican Leader of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, spoke with Newsmax TV’s Chris Salcedo about the politics of reopening the country and getting Congress back to work amidst the public health crisis.
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Here are the highlights: The Importance of the Paycheck Protect Program: The money is necessary. I was one of those that had my doubts when Secretary Mnuchin talked about it originally. I wondered if the Small Business Administration would ever be up to the task. Fortunately, in partnerships with small community banks and small lenders the SBA was able to stand up and get a significant amount of money in the hands of people who needed it. Nearly 1 million loans were made in the period of the first week. Many of those loans can be forgiven. The bulk of that money goes to protect workers, it goes to pay for paychecks. It is an enormously popular program … It’s unbelievable that it could be stopped for purely political reasons, but that’s what seems to have happened.
Should the president adjourn Congress? I don’t know how you’d tell because we’re not there yet. I know it’s been frustrating for the administration. I mean look, this is not new. This has gone on since day one, even before the President was inaugurated. The President is correct; he does need to have timely confirmation of his appointees; he deserves to have the people working in his administration that he wants.
I sent a letter toSpeaker Pelosi,Minority LeaderMcCarthy, House Committee on Small Business Chair Velazquez and Republican Leader Chabot requesting that 501(c)(6) organizations be eligible to receive loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). In the letter, I also requested that Congress act quickly to provide additional funding for thePPP.
I was alerted to this issue during a conference call with Congressman Chabot and TX-26 small businesses. Local chambers expressed their concern about 501(c)(6) organizations being exempt from being able to receive PPP funds.
Congress has a responsibility to helpget Americans back to work, and PPP provides financialprotection for those workers during this public health crisis.
National Update: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new collaboration with industry partners to address testing supply needs in the United States. The FDA will collaborate with the Gates Foundation, UnitedHealth Group, Quantigen, and US Cotton to manufacture spun synthetic swabs that can be used to test patients for COVID-19. These synthetic swabs are similar to Q-tips and should help increase the number of swabs available to public health labs, hospitals, and others for testing.
The National Institutes of Health announced a new public-private partnership to facilitate COVID-19 vaccine and treatment options. This Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV) partnership will develop a framework for prioritizing vaccine and drug candidates, clinical trials, and coordinating the regulatory process. ACTIV will help provide infrastructure and subject matter expertise for industry partners stepping up to develop therapeutics and vaccines for this Coronavirus.
The American Society for Microbiology launched a COVID-19 Research Registry yesterday. This COVID-19 Research Registry is a free resource to research articles published in scholarly journals and vetted by experts. This resource will help make important Coronavirus research available in and expedited and widespread manner.
The National Institute of Mental Health has a resource to help individuals cope with the variety of effects that this Coronavirus is havingon everyone’s lives. Whether individuals are struggling with depression or having difficulty adjusting to the new normal of social distancing, this page has resources to help. We are all in this together, and it is important to take care of both our physical and mental health during this difficult time.
Texas Update: Denton County has an interactive COVID-19 data center. This up-to-date webpage includes an interactive heat map, charts, and city and zip code data. For more information regarding this Coronavirus pandemic, visit the Denton County Public Health COVID-19 page.
Today, Governor Abbott issued an executive order to establish the Strike Force to Open Texas. This team will be comprised of medical experts and private and public leaders who will work with and advise Governor Abbott on how to safely and strategically reopen Texas. The Texas State Department of Health Services has released guidance on how to reopen retail businesses safely for employees and customers with a “retail to-go” model.
Until tomorrow, this is your doctor's note.
Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D.
Congress has a responsibility to help get Americans back to work. By allowing the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)to run dry, Democrats have committed legislative malpractice. Lenders are now forced to deny small businesses requesting PPP loans since funding for the program has been exhausted.
The economy is sick because of the virus not because it was a bad economy, and the PPP is helping to protect jobs during the economic crisis. According to the Small Business Administration more than 1,650,000 loans have been approved, over $339 billion in loans have been processed, and almost 5,000 lenders have participated.
This morning the CARES Provider Relief Fund Payment Attestation Portal went online. Providers who have been allocated funding from the initial distribution of $30 billion from the CARES Act must sign an attestation confirming receipt of these funds,and agree to the terms and conditions within 30 days of payment. These providers can now log in to complete this attestation required as a condition of receiving this CARES Act funding.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a contract with General Electric, in partnership with Ford, for 50,000 ventilators. HHS awarded this contract under the Defense Production Act for 50,000 ventilators to be produced by July 13. HHS finalized contracts to produce or acquire 41,000 ventilators by the end of May and more than 187,000 ventilators by the end of the year.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued two new emergency use authorizations for COVID-19 antibody tests. These emergency use authorizations were issued to Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc. and Chembio Diagnostic Systems, Inc. To date,a total of three antibody tests have been issued emergency use authorizations by the FDA.
The FDA is encouraging recovered COVID-19 patients to donate plasma. Plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients can be used in the development of blood-related therapies. Blood-related therapies are an important potential therapy to this Coronavirus. Recovered patients are encouraged to visit this dedicated webpage to donate COVID-19 plasma.
The FDA made available a new constituent resource for grocery shopping during this pandemic. These best practices emphasize how consumers can protect themselves and others while shopping for food.
Some key practices:
Prepare a shopping list in advance.
Wear a face covering or mask.
Carry your own wipes and wipe down the handle of shopping carts and baskets.
Practice social distancing while shopping.
Wash your hands upon returning from shopping.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued new guidance on the implementation of the CARES Act. This new guidance is for inpatient prospective payment system hospital payments, new flexibilities afforded to inpatient rehabilitation facilities and long-term care hospitals. CMS granted new flexibilities to health care providers to help battle this Coronavirus outbreak, and these guidance documents will help providers navigate the new regulation changes.
CMS also released guidance on suspension of the two percent Medicare Fee-For-Service payment adjustment due to sequestration. The suspension will be from May 1- December 31, 2020 and was included in the CARES Act.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) validates the study regarding decontamination methods for N95 respirators. This study conducted by the NIH confirms decontamination methods to allow the reuse of N95 respirators, which aretypically for a single use. Three methods were confirmed: vaporized hydrogen peroxide, 70-degree Celsius dry heat, and ultraviolet light.
The Google News Initiative launched a new relief fund for local news organizations. This fund, called the Journalism Emergency Relief Fund, will support small and medium sized news organizations that produce original news for local communities. The fund seeks to help local journalists continue their important work during this time. Applications opened on April 15 and will close on April 29 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Until tomorrow, this is your doctor's note.
Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D.
I started my day off talking to a few local radio shows.On one, I was talking with 660AM the Answer's Mark Davis about the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic and there action of President Wilson. We compared to it to President Trump's reaction to this Coronavirus pandemic and how he has brought forward leaders such as Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx to spearhead our nation's response.
While on the topic of politicians'reactions,we discussed how the same Democrats who want to blame the President for his response dismissed my request to have public hearings on this crisis back in February.
I told Mark there was not any interest. We had hearings on abortion access, ticket scalping, vaping, and even horse racing. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce is the predominant committee that oversees health carein this country. Why weren’t we having hearings on this virus? We just passed a big Pandemic All Hazard Preparedness Act and the President signed it in to law in June of 2019. We should have been having oversight hearings to ensure that it was working and see how things were happening in real time. Again, there was no inherent curiosity and we were told “we’ll get to it eventually.”
When the Health Subcommittee had a chance to ask questions about Coronavirus preparations,it was tacked onto a budget hearing and only a few members were permitted to ask questions. Luckily, I was one of them.
There are lessons to be learned from our response, but I appreciate the leadership of Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx for working to find real solutions to defeat this invisible enemy.
National Update: The Department of Health and Human Services will award $90 million to the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. This funding will be administered through the Health Resources and Services Administration to support over 580 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program recipients across the United States. These funds will help local health departments and community-based organizations in this battle against this Coronavirus pandemic. The list of recipients is available here.
The National Institute of Mental Health is conducting a study on the mental health impact of this COVID-19 pandemic. This study will be conducted online to analyze how stressors related to this Coronavirus outbreak affect mental health over time. Individuals over the age of 18 years old who are interested in participating can find more information here, or may call 240-665-0697 or email NIMHResearchVolunteer@nih.gov.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will nearly double payments for certain high-production labs. Labs using high-throughput technology should be able to rapidly diagnose large amounts of COVID-19 cases. Labs are considered high-throughput when they can process more than 200 specimens a day.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) makes additional efforts to assist in this Coronavirus response. The VA will make 1,500 beds available for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Also, the VA expanded care for non-veteran patients across the United States. Additionally, the VA is caring for people in nursing homes to help care for those especially vulnerable during this time.
The Department of the Treasury launched an application portal for localities to apply. This portal allows localities to apply directly to the Treasury, rather than going through their respective states. Governments eligible for payments must apply by April 17, 2020. More information regarding the distribution methodology and eligible units of local government are available here.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has started to direct deposit Economic Impact Payments.
Here is the breakdown:
Your payment amount will be calculated based on your 2018 or 2019 tax return, whichever has been filed most recently, and will be directly deposited into your account if you have provided that information.
Do you not receive your tax refund via direct deposit? The IRS is launching the “Get My Payment” link this month. Here you will have the ability to check your payment status.
If you do not regularly file a tax return, you can visit IRS.gov and submit your payment information.
If you receive social security, your payment will be calculated based on your social security benefit statement and will be directly deposited to the account where you receive your social security payments.
Concerned about whether your Economic Impact Payment will have to be paid back? This payment is for the 2020 tax year and will be accounted for on your 2020 tax return but will not be taxed as income.
Texas Update: Governor Abbott announced $38 million in federal funding for local governments in Texas. This COVID-19 emergency funding will help support local governments in the fight against this Coronavirus through prevention, preparation and response efforts. Interested governments should check out the Public Safety Office’s eGrants website to register and apply for this funding.
Reminder:Texas case counts are available online. Texas Department of State Health Services has been updating the case count dashboard.
Until next time, this is your doctor's note.
Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D.
Because of COVID-19, many new phrases and terms are becoming day-to-day vocabulary. There’s now a new term that many are worried about: “contact tracers”. Congressman Dr. Michael Burgess explains their purpose.
Congressman Michael Burgess joins Dave & Amy to talk about President Trump's harsh criticism of the World Health Organization, and how the coronavirus has gotten where it has in America so far.
Congressional Wednesday with U.S. Senator John Cornyn & U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess as we walk the path back to work, and policy battles that may slow aid to people & businesses.
Today, I released a resource that will be helpful to doctors in navigating this Coronavirus outbreak and the financial implications their practices may face. This fact sheet includes important information about federal financial support options and implementation of the CARES Act. Doctors are encouraged to review this resource page and share with others who may find it useful.
National Update: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued updated FAQs for State Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) agencies. This resource page covers topics such as the implementation of the CARES Act, the availability of an enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, implications for CHIP, and more.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in conjunction with the Departments of Labor and the Treasury released new FAQs regarding Coronavirus legislation. This resource page answers questions about the implementation of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, the CARES Act, and other health coverage concerns states, localities, and individuals may have.
HHS announces new ventilator contracts to General Electric, Hill-Rom, Medtronic, ResMed, Vyaire, Hamilton and Zoll. These contracts were awarded under the Defense Production Act for over 130,000 ventilators in total. American companies have stepped up to repurpose and retool factories to produce ventilators to help American patients.
HHS works to facilitate the development of immunotherapies for COVID-19 patients. HHS is working with a number of non-government organizations to develop convalescent plasma and hyperimmune globulin immunotherapies. The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority is working to with the American Red Cross, Emergent BioSolutions, Grifols, and Sab Biotherapeutics to facilitate the development of these investigational treatments.
The Federal Trade Commission has issued new warning letters with the Food and Drug Administration. These warning letters have been issued to companies who are allegedly selling unapproved products that violate the law by making deceptive or scientifically unsupported claims regarding treatment or cures for COVID-19. The list of all companies who have been sent these letters are available here.
Support for Veterans: The Department of Veterans Affairs has a new official podcast that engages veterans and members of the military community. This podcase Borne the Battle highlights the importance of sharing information, bridging the divide between military and civilians, and positive stories for veterans.
Texas Update: Governor Abbott announced that Goldman Sachs and the LiftFund will be partnering to provide loans for small businesses in Texas. Goldman Sachs, LiftFund, and other community development financial institutions will be providing $50 million in loans to small businesses that have been impacted by this Coronavirus outbreak. These loans will be made through the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program.
Until tomorrow, this is your doctor's note.
Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D.
Today, the Federal Communication Commission’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program Application Portal opened. This COVID-19 Telehealth Program will provide $200 million in funding from the CARES Act. The funding will help furnish connected care capabilities to treat patients remotely during this time.
National Update: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new report regarding geographic differences in this Coronavirus outbreak. This report breaks down the geographic distribution of cases, deaths, and incidence and includes all states, territories, the District of Columbia, and New York City.
The CDC announced modifications and an extension of the No Sail Order for cruise ships. The No Sail Order, signed on March 14, 2020, has been extended until the earliest of the following: expiration of the public health emergency declaration, the order is rescinded or modified, or 100 days from April 9th when this order was extended and published on the Federal Register.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reports state-by-state Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payments. This online document will be updated as more funding is sent to states over the course of this pandemic.
CMS announced expanded coverage for essential diagnostic services.New guidance was issued to ensure patients with private health insurance have coverage of COVID-19 diagnostic testing and certain related services, including antibody testing, at no cost.
The Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for a blood purification system. This product can be used to treat adult COVID-19 patients admitted for intensive care with confirmed or imminent respiratory failure. This emergency use authorization is for Terumo BCT Inc. and Marker Therapeutics AG.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service launched an online tool for stimulus payments. This tool will help individuals who normally do not file tax returns to ensure they get their stimulus payments funded by the CARES Act. This resource will provide all information necessary for non-filers to enter their payment information online.
The National Institutes of Health will begin a study to quantify undetected cases of Coronavirus infection. This study will focus on determining the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the immune system that will fight this Coronavirus. Thus far reporting of COVID-19 cases may not account for certain undetected cases, this study will help identify those.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has a new funding opportunity. This opportunity, funded by the CARES Act, is for rapid, high-impact projects that support the nation’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic. These grants will be awarded through the NIST Manufacturing USA National Emergency Assistance Program.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)began shifting medical personnel to help support surge capacity during this Coronavirus outbreak. The VA is utilizing its Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System to deploy medical professionals to hot spot areas, such as New Orleans. Employees who volunteer to participate in this 14-day deployment will be offered a $5,000 award for their service.
The National Brain Tumor Society launched a COVID-19 resource page. This resource page includes FAQs for brain tumor patients and their families, such as how to protect oneself, what to know if you are currently receiving treatment, what to know if you are a participant in a clinical trial, and more.
Texas Update: The Texas Department of State Health Services has new resources on COVID-19 testing. Testing totals broken down by county are available online and will be updated frequently.
Volunteer opportunity: Texas is looking for medical and non-medical volunteers to help during this Coronavirus outbreak. Interested Texans should visit Texas.gov for more information on how to help during this pandemic.
Until tomorrow, this is your doctor's note.
Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D.
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), member of the House Rules Committee and Republican Leader of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health was named a finalist in the Congressional Management Foundation’s third annual Democracy Awards.
Burgess ranked above his fellow lawmakers for exceptional achievement in the Transparency & Accountability category, which salutes Congressional offices who have enhanced constituent relations and accessible information about their work and performance.
“It is an honor to be recognized for being transparent and accountable to the constituents of Texas’ 26th District,” Burgess said. “It is a priority for me to provide an open and transparent reporting of my work product, which is why I put out an annual year-end report. This report serves as a stakeholder’s report for constituents, providing an annual measure of accomplishments by which the constituents I am honored to serve can hold me accountable each year. Our government is by the people and for the people. So, it only makes sense to make this information easily accessible.”
The Congressional Management Foundation is an organization dedicated to building citizen trust in Congress and well as working to build a more effective and responsive legislative branch. They established the Democracy Awards in order to highlight non-legislative achievement and best practices among offices. One Republican and Democrat winner will be selected for each category, with awards presented on September 17, 2020.
