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| Dear John,
In a moment, I'm going to share some important updates regarding coronavirus and what our office is working on to serve our community. But first, I'd like to say that I hope you and your family are staying safe and connected to one another during this trying time. As many of you know, our staff has been working from home, but we remain available to assist you. While I never imagined my first term in office to look like this, I'm honored to be representing such a civic-minded and compassionate group of Pennsylvanians. Earlier this week, as I do every week, I answered some of your voicemails, and there was a common sentiment among our community members--we must put partisanship aside, listen to the facts, and make the best decisions to move our nation forward. We're in this together, and I couldn't be prouder of our community. In This E-Newsletter You Will Find: Important Announcements and Resources — Including the latest number of COVID-19 cases in our Commonwealth and details regarding our upcoming town hall, which will focus on mental health What We're Working On — Including legislation to bolster public health response to COVID-19 through National Service and a summary of our office's #StafferSpotlight series Need Help? — Including updates for self-employed workers trying to access unemployment compensation, farmers hoping to access Economic Disaster Injury Loans, and more
PA COVID-19 Cases Update as of May 7th at 12:00PM
Visit the PA Department of Health's website for the most up-to-date information, including a comprehensive data spreadsheet. Upcoming Coronavirus Virtual Town HallNext week, I will host my 8th Coronavirus Virtual Town Hall, which will focus on mental health. This will be a telephone town hall, and we encourage you to sign up ahead of time at the link below. We'll be taking your questions throughout.
Introducing Bipartisan and Bicameral National Service Legislation
This week, we introduced the bipartisan and bicameral Pandemic Response And Opportunity Through National Service Act.
Supported by over 100 national service organizations, the legislation would provide a comprehensive, locally focused, national service strategy to address, move forward, and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill creates 750,000 AmeriCorps positions and establishes a partnership with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to manage a quick, federal deployment to crisis regions. These new roles would prepare Americans with meaningful opportunities to improve public health while supporting the needs of local communities and economies. To encourage participation from Americans of all backgrounds, this legislation would also increase AmeriCorps living stipends and grant educational awards equivalent to two years of public college tuition. Empowering AmeriCorps will enhance communities’ ability to address, respond, and recover from the far-reaching impacts of COVID-19. As our country works to reopen and rebuild, we need dedicated public servants who will help strengthen our communities, rebuild our economies and protect our most vulnerable. As a veteran and former AmeriCorps Member, I know firsthand that national service is critical to our individual and collective successes. This legislation will help build a robust response to this pandemic utilizing and augmenting our National Service programs, including AmeriCorps and Peace Corps. Throughout our country's history, National Service programs and their Corps members have consistently bolstered communities across the country and globe. We will need them now more than ever in order to successfully emerge a stronger, more unified nation. Team Houlahan: Behind the Scenes
In times of crises, we are all called upon to be our best selves. I am so proud of and grateful for my dedicated team both in our community and in Washington. They've been working tirelessly to assist our community during this trying time. In an effort to put a face behind the numerous callbacks and e-mails, I've started a #StafferSpotlight series on Facebook. Be sure to check them out on my Facebook page! Watch our episode on small business here; food scarcity here, and casework here.
Guidance for our communities is changing daily, so we want to be sure you have the most up-to-date information. We asked our response teams to update their most frequently asked question. Here's what they said: Protecting Small Businesses"I am an agricultural producer affected by COVID-19. What resources and funding are available to me?"
I am here to help. Please reach out to [email protected] and a member of my rapid response team will answer your questions or connect you with someone who can. Navigating Unemployment Compensation"I'm self-employed. Am I eligible for unemployment benefits?"
I am here to help. Please reach out to [email protected] and a member of my team will answer your questions or connect you with someone who can. Receiving Taxes and Rebates"If I receive social security, disability and/or veterans benefits, am I eligible for the rebate?"
Our website is always a resource for you and your family. Whether you are looking for ways to help others, information on filing your taxes, or ideas to keep your children engaged in academics, you'll find what you're looking for at houlahan.house.gov. Or, if you'd rather talk with our staff, give us a call at (202) 225-4315. Recently, we've archived all of our coronavirus e-newsletters on our website. To view all of our weekly updates, click here.
We want to hear from you. Please stay in touch and let us know what you thought of this e-newsletter. You can call one of our offices or fill out our contact form. As always, please subscribe to this e-newsletter to keep up with what is happening regarding coronavirus, our many events, and the work we're doing for Pennsylvanians. Feel free to pass this link along to friends of our community as well so they can keep in touch too. We're all in this together. Respectfully,
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