Hartzler: We will bounce back from coronavirus public health crisis and economic downfall

(From Fourth District Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler)

I wanted to thank everyone for the important role you have played in coming together and persevering through these times.

Everyone has done so well in adhering to guidelines on physical distancing and limiting social interactions, and also stepping up and helping our neighbors. 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 of our doctors and health care professionals, as well as our friends’ and neighbors’ embracing and following the CDC guidelines.

Our communities are going to open next week in many counties! We will bounce back from both the public health crisis posed by the coronavirus and the economic downfall in the face of this pandemic. Our focus must remain on openly safely while ensuring our small businesses and their employees can thrive while providing the needed services and products our community needs as well as supporting our farmers and ranchers who are facing massive supply chain disruptions and staggering low prices.

In the face of adversity, it is encouraging to see everyone come together. We can overcome this virus as we stay vigilant in our healthcare precautions, remain faithful in prayer, and prioritize looking after each other.

This week, I’ve held conference call meetings with emergency room doctors from around the district to discuss the current status of our hospitals and health care providers, state officials and agriculture industry leaders concerned with our meat packing plants, and Washington officials regarding the latest in pandemic response efforts. I also discussed with the Aspen Institute different approaches to open up our economy while still ensuring that the most vulnerable people are kept healthy and safe.

On the call with Governor Parson, we discussed the Show-Me Strong Recovery Plan which is Missouri’s blueprint for reopening. I am encouraged by the progress we have made as a state with hospital admissions decreasing and county officials now having the authority to reopen their counties next week. A big part of the plan is to ensure we get enough testing and personal protective equipment (PPE) to communities and to keep agriculture strong by ensuring our meat packing plants stay open and safe. These are priorities of the governor and I applaud his efforts.

As Missouri navigates this re-opening, please make sure and check out the website put up by Governor Parson’s team. It is full of information and resources regarding this forward step for Missouri: www.showmestrong.mo.gov.

This week I had two virtual meetings with meat packing plants in our district, Tyson and Cargill. It was wonderful to see and hear the proactive steps these two plants are taking to ensure their workers are kept safe during this pandemic while also providing delicious, affordable meat for American consumers.

I spoke with Alan Johnston, the Complex Manager of the Tyson plant in Sedalia, as well as other team members. Alan informed me that the plant, which is currently running at full speed, produces food for box stores like Sam’s and Costco and other food retailers. Essentially every grocery store in the nation has Sedalia products on the shelf such as their breaded chicken nuggets.

In terms of steps being taken to ensure the safety of the workers and the foodproduct, Alan informed me that they are following the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines such as checking temperatures of the workers with digital stand thermometers twice a day. 

Currently, they have roughly 1,500 people going through the plant each day in multiple shifts. Tyson has worked with FEMA and Vice President Mike Pence’s Task Force to get personal protective equipment (PPE) for plant workers. 

Before the PPE arrived from the government they reached out to the community and had 5,400 homemade masks arrive to support the workers! It’s a wonderful show of support from the community!

I also had the chance to get a virtual tour of the Cargill turkey processing plant in California, MO via a Zoom call with several folks, including members of the state and federal relations teams, the general manager, and the environmental manager.

At the Cargill plant, there are currently about 260 employees working. They go through screening before entering the plant, then takes temperatures after lunch as well. In addition to other CDC suggested guidelines, they have plexi-glass dividers to separate workers in the cafeteria from other processing floor areas throughout the plant. Cargill has adjusted shifts so that family members or members of the same household are working together and have implemented detailed contingency plans to support their workers in every way possible.

I am proud of both of these plants and the hard-working employees who come to work every day to provide much-appreciated food for family tables.

Legislative Update

Whether we’re talking about ensuring that federal grants are getting to our hospitals overwhelmed by the coronavirus or making sure that economic stimulus relief is going to individuals who need it the most, oversight and accountability are critically important in ensuring that funds authorized by Congress are spent judiciously and according to the law.

That’s why I supported the three oversight commissions created by the CARES Act to oversee the proper implementation of these funding programs. These include the Congressional Oversight Commission, the Pandemic Response Accountability Commission, and the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is charged with conducting an audit of the CARES Act expenditures and given $20 million to carry out the audit.

I did not, however, support Speaker Pelosi’s desire to create a ninth coronavirus oversight body. Already, Congress and the Executive branch have eight bodies with a chartered responsibility of oversight over all the elements of the CARES Act. As opposed to the equally bipartisan commissions established in the CARES Act, Speaker Pelosi’s proposal for a ninth commission would create a new, overwhelmingly Democrat-controlled commission, which politicizes this COVID-19 pandemic.

There are many Americans who are hurting deeply as we deal with this pandemic, whether they have lost a loved one or have had to face financial instability due to uncertain and difficult economic conditions. No one, especially our national leaders, should be weaponizing COVID-19.