Hi all — Even as we adjust to life at home to help flatten the curve and work to beat the virus, I’ve been as busy as ever working with front line health care workers, first responders, families, business owners, hospitals, faith leaders, and elected officials to help us through this difficult time. I’m also focused on what steps we must take to reopen America safely. Here’s a quick update of what I’ve been up to:
1. Reopening and Recovery “Back to Work” Checklist: The bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, which I Co-Chair, passed and published our health and economic plan. You can read it here and see the coverage on Fox News, Roll Call, and The Epoch Times.
2. Help from the CARES Act. The bipartisan CARES Act that we recently passed in Congress includes hundreds of millions in direct aid to individuals, businesses, hospitals, first responders and states. We are now fighting for more resources for the small business loan forgiveness program (PPP), hospitals and municipalities. We will likely pass legislation this week. See how the CARES ACT helps:
3. Additional Help for Sussex and Warren Counties. State Senator Steven Oroho and I have asked the State to use discretionary dollars for additional support for Sussex and Warren Counties to help with coronavirus response. Read more on WRNJ.
4. How to Safely Reopen America. Fellow Problem Solver Co-Chair Rep. Tom Reed and I drafted a joint op-ed in USA Today on the obstacles we need to overcome to safely reopen America once the coronavirus pandemic wanes. Read our op-ed.
5. Tax Deadline Extended to July 15th. I've pushed for both federal and state tax deadlines to be extended because now, more than ever, New Jersey taxpayers and local businesses need relief from filing and payment penalties. Now, both the federal and state deadlines are being extended to July 15th. Read more.
6. Calling for More Aid for Hardest Hit States. New Jersey is only getting $18,000 per COVID-19 case while states like West Virginia are getting $400,000+ in federal resources per case. I'm helping lead New Jersey and New York’s entire House delegations in requesting a new $40 billion fund to be allocated among the States based on our share of the infection rate so we can get our patients the care they need. Read more in The Hill, NY Times, NJ 101.5 and WPG Talk Radio.
7. Helping Our Nursing Home & Long-Term Care Facilities. In addition to the efforts made to assist Andover, I have urged the New Jersey Department of Health to also assist dozens of long-term care facilities in Sussex, Warren, Bergen, and Passaic Counties that I have heard from which are in critical need of supplies, additional personnel, and assistance to contain COVID-19 outbreaks. This is an issue I’ve been flagging for the state for more than a month, and I thank them for their continued cooperation. We all have a duty to ensure that the most vulnerable among us are adequately protected from this virus. Read more on NBC4, The Record, NY Times, PBS, NJ.com, NJ Spotlight, WRNJ, ABC7, and WBRZ.
8. Fighting for Potentially Life-Saving Experimental Treatments. I fought alongside the Allard family to make sure patients who are suffering from the most extreme symptoms of COVID-19 — like 26-year-old Ridgewood native Jack Allard — get access to the potentially life-saving experimental treatment they need. After a month in the hospital, I was so glad to see that Jack walked out of the hospital on his own this week. See more on ABC7.
9. Advocating for More FEMA Testing Facilities I asked FEMA to establish additional drive-through facilities in Warren and Sussex Counties to build on the testing at regional hospitals. Accurate detection and containment of the virus is our best chance to flatten the curve and reduce the spread of the virus. Read more on WNRJ.
10. Made in America Emergency Preparedness Act. I helped introduce the bipartisan Made in America Emergency Preparedness Act to strengthen the U.S. manufacturing industry and bolster the supply chain of emergency resources for future crises.
11. Bringing Home NJ-5 Residents. I am proud to announce that sixteen NJ-5 residents and families have been returned home safely after being stranded abroad during this global outbreak.
12. Investing in Infrastructure to Help Jumpstart the Economy. As we work through this crisis, jump-starting the economy should be a top priority and investing in our infrastructure is a perfect way to do that. Our infrastructure is at the core of an economy’s success, and our crumbling roads, rails, bridges, and tunnels are holding us back. Read more in The Hill.
13. Real Tax Cuts for NJ Families. New Jersey is already an expensive place to live, and now our economy and families are being hit hard by the coronavirus. We need real tax cuts, so I've been fighting to fully reinstate the SALT deduction in the next congressional emergency relief package. Read more in Roll Call and North Jersey News.
As always, please don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook and to reach out to me at [email protected] if you need anything.
| Paid for by Josh Gottheimer for Congress |