The hard work each one of you have put into fighting the coronavirus battle is beginning to pay off. The rate of new positive cases is starting to diminish thanks to the amazing work by our doctors and health care professionals, as well as our friends’ and neighbors’ embracing and following the CDC guidelines.
On a phone call earlier this week with Vice President Mike Pence and the Coronavirus Response Task Force, I received an update on the progress we are making to flatten the curve as well as the implementation of the historic relief package passed last month.
Over 380,000 small business loan applications for the Paycheck Protection Program have been processed though many of our community banks with $100 billion already going out to help businesses keep employees on the payroll so they have an income during this difficult time and businesses can pick right back up once this virus is defeated.
Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and I am glad provisions we passed in Washington are making their way to help Missouri’s 4th district. I appreciate the dedication of our local banks and credit unions who have worked tirelessly to get approved by the Small Business Administration to process these forgivable loans so our local businesses can access the funds in a timely manner.
The White House team also said that the direct payments to Americans passed in last month’s historic stimulus package are on course to be disbursed by the end of next week. They also mentioned that over $30 billion have already been sent to assist hospitals and other health care providers through this crisis and they have helped 50,000 Americans come home after being trapped abroad due to the pandemic.
I want to encourage you to keep fighting the good fight – keep doing what you’re doing because our state and our nation are finally seeing the results of all this work.
The White House team also said that the direct payments to Americans passed in last month’s historic stimulus package are on course to be disbursed by the end of next week. They also mentioned that over $30 billion have already been sent to assist hospitals and other health care providers through this crisis and they have helped 50,000 Americans come home after being trapped abroad due to the pandemic.
I want to encourage you to keep fighting the good fight – keep doing what you’re doing because our state and our nation are finally seeing the results of all this work.
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While we’ve begun to see the light at the end of the tunnel, there are still many critical areas that need addressing. This includes providing crucial assistance to our rural hospitals and health care providers. As Missouri deals with the coronavirus, we are witnessing firsthand the importance of rural hospitals to our district, proving vital medical resources to nearly 2.25 million people in our state who live in rural communities.Over the past several weeks I have reached out to administrators in all of Missouri’s 4th Congressional District hospitals to hear directly what our hospitals need to keep our rural communities safe.
Their input has guided my discussions with Gov. Mike Parson, as well as meetings with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and FEMA regional administrators where I am actively advocating for their needs.
I have also been in communication with both hospital administrators and lenders throughout the district to ensuring clarity on the eligibility rural hospitals and health care providers have for the Paycheck Protection Program.
In Congress, I have co-sponsored H.R. 6365, the Immediate Relief for Rural Facilities and Providers Act. The bill contains several provisions that bolster funding to rural hospitals and helps ensure financial stability as the coronavirus pandemic continues to put a strain on rural communities across Missouri and the country.
Last week, I called on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to greatly bolster critical funding and assistance to rural hospital and health care providers in the face of the coronavirus. I signed onto a bipartisan, bicameral letter urging HHS Secretary Alex Azar to ensure money made available by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is immediately and adequately disbursed to rural hospitals and health care providers.
In Congress, I have co-sponsored H.R. 6365, the Immediate Relief for Rural Facilities and Providers Act. The bill contains several provisions that bolster funding to rural hospitals and helps ensure financial stability as the coronavirus pandemic continues to put a strain on rural communities across Missouri and the country.
Last week, I called on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to greatly bolster critical funding and assistance to rural hospital and health care providers in the face of the coronavirus. I signed onto a bipartisan, bicameral letter urging HHS Secretary Alex Azar to ensure money made available by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is immediately and adequately disbursed to rural hospitals and health care providers.
In the letter, my colleagues and I argue that rural hospitals serve as the backbone of communities across our nation and call for immediate support in continuing to care for our communities. Our rural hospitals are facing a serious threat to their financial solvency as they are no longer performing or providing non-elective surgeries and medical services to non-urgent patients, putting all resources into combatting the coronavirus battle.
While rural hospitals understand the importance of putting this global pandemic at the forefront, many of these health care providers rely on elective surgeries and non-urgent medical services, such as scoliosis surgery or tonsillectomies, for financial viability. As limited resources are depleting in our rural hospitals, I urge Secretary Azar to ensure that these new funds are dispersed to rural hospitals and health care providers quickly and efficiently.
Our rural hospitals and health care providers have played an incredibly important role in this battle against the virus and they deserve our praise and support. Despite the risks, they continue to show up every day to bravely fight an enemy they cannot see but whose effects are felt worldwide. It is with profound gratitude that I thank them for their sacrifice and resilience during this difficult time. It is an honor to fight for them and advocate for them in Washington.
Seventy-five years ago this week, Harry S. Truman became president and his story began right here in Lamar, Missouri. The complete story of Truman, the kind of leader we could use now, and the town where he was born is told for the first time in The Buck Starts Here: Harry S. Truman and the City of Lamar, available now in paperback and e-book.
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