Remembering our Shared American Values on July 4
This July 4th looked different than years past. The fireworks displays and celebrations were smaller or cancelled altogether, but we should be no less enthusiastic about our shared values as Americans: that all people are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.
This weekend, we honored the bravery of the Americans who make our country great, from the servicemen and women who have fought to protect our freedoms, to the frontline workers who have carried us through this pandemic. May the courage, and determination of our Founding Fathers inspire the patriotism in all of us.
Click here or on the image above for the remarks in full.
Addressing the Atrocities by the Chinese Government in Xinjiang
Last week, I joined a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin regarding the ongoing atrocities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities.
These human rights abuses demand a response from the United States as well as the international community because evidence strongly indicates that the Chinese government is intentionally working to destroy and essentially wipe out Uyghur families, culture, and religious adherence and encouraging violence against women. I urged the Administration not only to condemn this heinous policy but also to sanction those Chinese officials responsible for these crimes.
Bill to Update E-SIGN
During this challenging time, Americans are increasingly faced with outdated barriers to accessing critical documents and bank statements electronically. The E-SIGN Modernization Act will streamline this decades-old system and allow more people to access their bank information from a computer or other electronic device.
Learn more about the E-SIGN Modernization Act here.
VIDEO: Growing Momentum for RESTART Act
I highlighted growing momentum for my Reviving the Economy Sustainably Towards a Recovery in Twenty-twenty (RESTART) Act during a recent press conference call with Indiana reporters.
Since introducing the RESTART Act in May, we’ve received widespread support from organizations across the country. I recently visited eight small businesses in eight Indiana cities to learn more about how the RESTART Act would benefit them. The overwhelming consensus was that Hoosiers want this legislation to pass and help restart the economy. When the Senate reconvenes later this month, we will begin debating the next round of coronavirus relief. I will be pushing very hard for the RESTART Act to be included in any relief package, and I’m hopeful that we can come together to pass this bill quickly. Our businesses need this relief or many will not be able to survive.
Click here or on the image above to learn more about my RESTART Act.
$5 Million in Telehealth Support for Indiana Health Care Providers
Last week, I was proud to announce that 14 Hoosier health care providers have received over $5 million in dedicated telehealth funding since April. This funding comes from the FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program established by Congress and these dollars will help connect patients to their doctors from the comfort and safety of their homes.
Telehealth will allow us to leverage the latest technology to serve more Hoosiers, lower costs, and provide better outcomes. That’s why I was proud to support this dedicated telehealth funding in the CARES Act and I will continue to advocate for even more funding for Indiana. Learn more here.
Update on Russia Bounty Reports
We recently had some major newspapers that reported on bounties Russians were giving to members of the Taliban in order to kill American servicemen and women. I took this reporting very seriously and I contacted the Administration in furtherance of my oversight responsibilities demanding answers. The Administration commendably responded quickly. I was able to review intelligence materials that were right on point, and educate myself based on my experience as a Marine Corps intelligence officer. And last week, I was invited into the Situation Room to be briefed by the national security advisor and our director of national intelligence.
I’ve concluded the following: Number one, this Administration, and this President, has drawn on all available intelligence to keep our men and women in uniform safe. That intelligence finds its way out into the front lines and informs our force protection protocols. Number two, those major national newspapers I mentioned, including the New York Times and Washington Post, reported on unverified and inconclusive intelligence as though it had been conclusively determined that Russia paid bounties on US troops. Number three, every single member, Republican and Democrat alike, of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is aware should have been aware of the intelligence that I was briefed on. It’s long been available. President Trump has consistently been hard on Russia and the President is taking this matter very seriously.
Click here to view my full remarks.
$12 Million for Indiana Airports
Fort Wayne, Huntingburg, and Jeffersonville will be receiving Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety and infrastructure grants totaling more than $12.1 million. This is in addition to the more than $96 million in airport funding made available by the CARES Act in April.
As the Crossroads of America, it is critical that Indiana’s airports continue to make important infrastructure investments. Even more so during the coronavirus pandemic, these grants will help ensure these Hoosier assets remain vibrant and continue to drive economic development in their respective regions.
A full list of grants is available here.
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