May 7, 2020 Dear Friends, The Department of Health and Human Services extended the deadline to 45 days for health care providers to attest to receipt of payments and accept the Terms and Conditions from the Provider Relief Fund. National Update: The Food and Drug Administration released a revised Emergency Use Authorization for disposable filtering facepiece respirators manufactured in China that do not meet NIOSH standards due to concerns about the level of protection certain products offer. T... Read more

by Ripon Advance News Service U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) on May 4 introduced a bipartisan bill that would provide $3 billion in funding to purchase crude oil produced in the United States for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). “I’m leading this bipartisan, bicameral legislation because it will not only support our energy industry but benefit American taxpayers with greater economic and national security,” Sen. Hoeven said. “We need to pass this legislation to fund the purchase of U.S. crud... Read more

by Patrick Thibodeau Citing unemployment levels not seen since the Great Depression, U.S. Senate and House Republicans sent letters Thursday urging President Trump to "suspend" guest worker visa programs until the economy recovers or for at least one year -- whichever comes first. "There is no reason why unemployed Americans and recent college graduates should have to compete in such a limited job market against an influx of additional H-1B workers, most of whom work in business, technology, or ... Read more

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-I... 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 c... 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 addr... 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 Barra... Read more

Topic of discussion was re-opening the economy after COVID-19 required everyone to social distance and shelter in place. View on YouTube. 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 mill... 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 questio... Read more