Dear West Virginian,

This week, we’ve seen protests around the country and in towns across West Virginia after the death of George Floyd. Our country is bearing a lot of pain and frustration right now. I wholeheartedly support those exercising their First Amendment right and peacefully protesting. I spoke on this in more detail on the Senate floor earlier this week. Click here or the image below to watch:

The senseless murder of George Floyd is unacceptable. It’s clear that our entire country is united in horror and opposition to this violent killing. Those responsible should be held accountable. However, in some areas of the country, like Atlanta, Minneapolis, and Portland, protesting has turned violent. Rioting and looting do nothing to honor the memory of George Floyd and are a disservice to peaceful protesters. Thankfully, in West Virginia, all protests have been peaceful, and I pray they continue to be.

Most of all, I pray for healing. We must all do our part to change racist attitudes that exist today, but this must be done peacefully.

NEW LEGISLATION INTRODUCED: The CEASE Act

I’ve received several calls from constituents worried after they receive phone calls asking for personal and banking information to obtain their stimulus checks. Malicious scammers have been taking advantage of this pandemic to cheat vulnerable people.

That’s why I joined my colleagues Senators Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) in introducing legislation that proposes harsher fines and punishment for individuals who use the COVID-19 pandemic to prey on people with scams and fraud. The legislation, the Combating Egregious Advertising through Sentencing Enhancement (CEASE) Act, would greatly increases the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) fines and punishment for false advertising during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill increases the FTC’s penalties for false advertising during COVID-19:

First offense: Increases penalties from a $5,000 fine and/or up to six months in jail for the first offense to a $50,000 fine and/or up to a year in jail.
Repeat offenders: Increases penalties to make it a felony and increasing the fine from $10,000 and/or up to one year in jail to $250,000 and/or one to five years in jail.

Prioritizing Infrastructure

This week, we held two committee hearings pertaining to infrastructure. Infrastructure is a bipartisan issue, and I think all West Virginians would agree we definitely need more investment in our roads, bridges, and highways.

First, in the Commerce Committee, we looked at the impact that COVID-19 has had on surface transportation and the supply chain. The members of our nation’s surface transportation system have been at the forefront ensuring critical supplies and resources are delivered around the country. Watch my questions for our panelists here:

Next, in the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, we looked at America’s road to economic recovery and why transportation infrastructure is an important part of that:

Thank You, Frontline Workers

Today, I made two stops in Kanawha County just to say thank you to medical frontline workers and others who have been at the forefront of community response during COVID-19. First, I went to the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, followed by a visit to the Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority to thank everyone from the COVID call center professionals to paramedics to the public health officials. They all have been working around the clock to help our community. It’s tough work, long hours, and sometimes quarantining from loved ones.

REMINDER: Make Sure You Get Your Individual Check!

If you haven’t visited it already, the IRS has opened an online portal for lower-income individuals who are not required to file a tax return, have not filed tax returns for 2018 or 2019, and are not on Social Security retirement, Social Security disability (SSDI), or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The purpose of the portal is to provide information in order to receive a stimulus check. Enter your information to track the status of your payment here.

Those who have filed a return for 2018 or 2019 or are on Social Security retirement, SSI, or SSDI do not need to do anything to receive their check.

However, if you’re on SSI and have dependents, you’ll need to fill out additional information to get the extra $500 per child.

Here’s a great Q&A page on the IRS site. If you have questions, check it out!

And here’s another good Q&A page that provides more details about your Economic Impact Payments (EIP).

Be Vigilant for Scammers!

Unfortunately, there are bad actors that are using this health crisis to take advantage of unsuspecting residents, especially our senior citizens. Please note the IRS WILL NOT call you and ask for your bank account information to deposit your individual relief check.

Check out my coronavirus webpage for more information about scams and what I’m doing to try and mitigate them.

Additional Resources

I created a page on my website with information and resources to keep you up-to-date on the coronavirus situation as it continues to evolve. Check out that page here, and please share with friends so they can keep up with the latest.

In addition to my webpage, I also want to make sure you know where to get the latest updates from the medical experts at CDC.gov and West Virginia DHHR.

I will continue doing my best to keep you up to speed on what we are doing here at the federal level to help and other resources that can be useful back at home. I will be posting regular updates on my Facebook and Twitter accounts, so be sure to follow me there.

Important Information If You’re Visiting DC

Because of coronavirus concerns, all Capitol and White House tours have been suspended indefinitely. Please contact our Washington office to reschedule. Additionally, requests for flags flown over the Capitol may be delayed, and access to the Capitol and House and Senate office buildings is being restricted. Feel free to contact our office at (202) 224-6472 with any questions. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Counting on West Virginia

Have you taken your 2020 census yet? PLEASE DO!

Taking the census takes 10 minutes and could mean thousands of more federal dollars for West Virginia!

Do you part and take it here: https://my2020census.gov/

Over the past couple of months, I’ve been discussing the importance of taking the census, and I encourage you to do the same so you can spread the word to fellow West Virginians. Click here to read a column I wrote about this.

How Can We Help?

Whether you need help with a casework issue or have a question about scheduling a meeting at one of my offices, my staff and I are ready to assist you. Learn more about the services we offer at www.capito.senate.gov.

You can also submit your feedback and share your stories with me by visiting my “Share Your Stories” webpage here: www.capito.senate.gov/ShareYourStories.

Social Media Recap

Join me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for regular updates and photos.

Sincerely,

Shelley Moore Capito

United States Senator