by Preston Huennekens Lawmakers in both the House and Senate called on President Trump to suspend nonimmigrant guest worker programs in two letters circulated today. These letters ask the president to consider the effects of allowing hundreds of thousands of guest workers to continue working in the United States, while 33 million Americans have been added to unemployment as a result of the response to the coronavirus pandemic. Senators Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) called on President Trump to “keep the American worker in mind and lim... Read More »
May 6, 2020 Dear Friends, Pfizer and German pharmaceutical company BioNTech began human trials of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate and are preparing to amplify production in the coming months if there is continued success. National Update: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced equitable relief for Medicare Part A and Part B enrollment through June 17, 2020. Also, CMS released guidance to Medicare Advantage Organizations, Part D plan sponsors, and Medicare-Medicaid plans clarifying that the Special Enrollment Period for Individuals Affected by a FEMA-Declared Weather Rel... Read More »
May 5, 2020 Dear Friends, This morning, I joined Mornings with Maria to discuss the importance of the House of Representatives joining the Senate and returning to Washington. National Update: The American Hospital Association produced a one-pager on the Small Business Administration’s further guidance on the eligibility of public hospitals for the Paycheck Protection Program. The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities announced a grant opportunity for organizations to address COVID-19 challenges in racial and ethnic minority populations. The Centers for Medicare & Medica... Read More »
by Renee Jean A bipartisan coalition of oil state senators led by North Dakota Republican Sen. John Hoeven and Alabama Democratic Sen. Doug Jones has introduced an emergency measure in the Senate that would provide $3 billion in funding to purchase American crude oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Hoeven’s coalition includes Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., as well as Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz of Texas, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, John Barrasso of Wyoming, and Roger Wicker of Mississippi. Hoeven said the benefits of the measure are two-fol... Read More »
May 4, 2020 Dear Friends, The Food and Drug Administration updated its COVID-19 antibody testing policy from a more flexible standard to a more refined process that will help combat fraudulent testing and streamline the Emergency Use Authorization application. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been authorized to approve certain states for the Crisis Counseling program, which provides support for citizens dealing with the effects of COVID-19. Additionally, FEMA awarded $200 million in federal funds to organizations dedicated to feeding, sheltering, and providing critical resou... Read More »
by Jacob Jarvis Republican calls for the House of Representatives to reconvene continue to mount after the Senate returned amid the coronavirus pandemic. Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy yesterday outlined his vision for how the lower house of congress could get back to work, suggesting a phased plan beginning with committees meeting first. The Senate congregated on Monday, despite stay-at-home measures prompted by COVID-19 remaining in place in Washington, D.C., prompting questions of the House of Representatives. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) joined the calls for a return, referencing key... Read More »
by Nik Rajkovic The U.S. Senate returns to work Monday, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is keeping her members home. Congressman Dan Crenshaw called the Speaker's decision a cowardly act. “The Senate is going back to work and thank God we have them doing that. The House needs to the same. This is cowardly to the core,” the Houston Republican told Fox News. “I honestly cannot even believe it. This is such a lack of leadership.” “You can exert the same kind of risk mitigation measures that everybody else across America is doing, yet Nancy Pelosi refuses to do that.” If Democrats want to work from... Read More »
This past weekend was the first time Texas businesses could reopen under Governor Abbott’s plan. However, Dallas County reported it’s highest single day for new cases since the pandemic started. Many people got out for the first time over the weekend, some are choosing to wait. If we reopen too soon, are we risking a second wave of infections? Congressman Dr. Michael Burgess says NO! As a doctor, he was worried when the pandemic first started, but after seeing the economic devastation the virus has caused, he is all for businesses reopening. Hear what else Dr. Burgess has to say on The Rick R... Read More »
by Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe Hundreds of millions in federal relief is flowing into Denton County to stem the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. But getting a handle on exactly how much is coming from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act to Denton County and where it’s going has proved elusive. Aides in Congressman Michael Burgess’s office said late last week they were still searching for a tool with the tally. Some of the largest known allocations went to Denton County, the Denton County Transportation Authority and the county’s colleges and universities. According to aid... Read More »
