Important Update on Beatty’s Work Confronting the Coronavirus
With the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic putting my constituents and nearly 80 percent of all Americans under a ‘stay-at-home' order, I want to keep you updated on my latest work to ensure that the healthcare and economic needs of workers, families, and small businesses come first.
Congress took an important bipartisan step in helping to meet those needs by passing the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, H.R. 748. The largest financial rescue package in U.S. history, the CARES Act authorizes economic impact payments ($1,200 max for individuals and $2,400 max for joint filers, with incomes of $75,000 / $150,000 or less per year, plus $500 for children 16 and under) to help affected individuals and families make ends meet, further expands unemployment (13 weeks, plus $600 extra weekly benefits), and provides $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses, independent contractors, and the self-employed, as well as first-time funding for nonprofits. Moreover, the landmark law assists student borrowers, invests in our healthcare professionals and first responders and helps keep them safe, and institutes strong accountability measures on corporations receiving taxpayer dollars.
Yet, during a White House bill signing ceremony—with only Congressional Republicans invited to attend—President Trump asserted that the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR) responsible for oversight of the distribution of taxpayer funds will report to Congress only after consulting with him personally. Trump's statements are deeply disturbing and completely unacceptable because the CARES Act makes clear that the SIGPR will inform Congress on their findings independently. Going forward, I will continue to fight to guarantee that taxpayer dollars given to corporations go to workers' paychecks and benefits, not CEO bonuses, stock buybacks, or dividends.
Besides making sure that the CARES Act is implemented as drafted, I am also in the process of drafting and signing on to numerous congressional letters and bills. Those include most recently:
Letter urging full Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Battelle Memorial Institute's efforts to sanitize N-95 protective masks .*
Letter from the Ohio Congressional Delegation requesting the Trump Administration approve Ohio's ‘Major Disaster Declaration.' *
Letters to Congressional Leadership calling for relief for nonprofits and assistance for minority independent contractors, the self-employed, and gig workers in the CARES Act.*
Letter from the Ohio Congressional Delegation to the White House Coronavirus Task Force highlighting Ohio Biotech's expertise
Letter urging Trump to withdraw the Administration's Affordable Care Act repeal lawsuit
Letters to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to frontline childcare workers, support for individuals who are homeless, prevent water shutoffs during national emergencies, and direct federal funding to smaller communities.
Cosponsoring the Ensuring Access to Life-Saving Medical Devices Act, H.R. 6062, a bill that would direct the FDA to monitor the supply chain for medical devices (e.g., ventilators, PPE, etc.) as it does for the drug supply chain.
Cosponsoring H.Res. 467, a resolution recognizing the contributions of frontline health workers.
(Bullets with * indicate a successful outcome.)
For more Beatty-backed bills and congressional letters, please click here.
The days and weeks ahead will be trying times, but please be assured that I will continue to keep you informed on the newest developments, and I promise to do all I can as your Representative of Ohio's Third Congressional District to preserve public health. We will get through this together.