Sen. Coons: Paycheck Protection Program must be expanded for lenders in low-income communities, CDFIs

WILMINGTON, Del. – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) called for an expansion of the popular small business Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) program to help lenders in low-income and distressed communities provide forgivable loans to businesses and nonprofits.  The current PPP program, part of the recently enacted CARES Act, does not allow most Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to serve as PPP lenders, disproportionally neglecting the most vulnerable businesses and nonprofits as a result.

Senator Coons is calling for the next COVID-19 relief bill to expand the PPP program and give CDFIs the capital and lending authorities necessary to provide desperately-needed forgivable loans to the small businesses and nonprofits that need them most.

Senator Coons is calling for the next COVID-19 relief bill to:

• Provide additional funding for the Department of the Treasury’s CDFI Fund;
• Allow nonprofit CDFIs to take out SBA PPP loans;
• Allow CDFIs to serve as SBA PPP lenders and allocate a share of additional PPP lending to CDFIs—as proposed in Minority Leader Schumer and Speaker Pelosi’s Interim Emergency COVID-19 Relief Act; and
• Ensure the Federal Reserve can purchase SBA PPP loans from CDFIs.

“The Paycheck Protection Program is a lifeline for small businesses and nonprofits around the country, but some of the most vulnerable businesses and nonprofits aren’t able to access it, and that has to change,” said Senator Coons.  “In the next relief bill, we need to ensure that CDFIs, which serve as lenders to businesses and nonprofits in low-income and underserved communities, can access the Paycheck Protection Program and help our most vulnerable communities weather this storm.”

Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) are private mission-driven financial lenders that deliver responsible, affordable lending to low-income, low-wealth, and other disadvantaged people and communities. CDFIs are certified by the Department of the Treasury and can be banks, credit unions, loan funds, and venture capital (VC) funds. There are more than 1,000 Treasury-certified CDFIs located in all 50 states, D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico.

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Sens. Coons, Kaine, King urge banks to give more small businesses better access to Paycheck Protection Program

WILMINGTON, Del. — Yesterday, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Angus King (I-Maine) wrote a letter calling for banks to remove barriers to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that limit access to many small businesses, particularly women-owned businesses, minority-owned businesses, and businesses in rural communities. Currently, most banks are restricting applications to existing customers, which leaves many small businesses with delayed access to the program. The letter underscores the critical need for banks to open up the program to new applicants so that this barrier doesn’t disproportionately create harm for more small businesses, particularly in historically underserved communities.

“Collectively, these individual decisions to limit access to the application process have locked hundreds of thousands of businesses out at a time when they are desperately seeking support. This will lead to businesses receiving or not receiving funding solely based on which bank they picked years ago. It will undermine Americans’ faith that the program was intended to be broad and accessible to nearly all small businesses. Unfortunately, limited access to the program will also disproportionately harm small businesses owned by women and minorities and small businesses located in rural communities,” wrote the senators.

“We will continue to push for the federal support and guidance necessary to make this program work, including pushing to get more community banks up and running on the Paycheck Protection Program. In the meantime, we are writing to ask the banking community, particularly those banks with the most resources to do so, to start opening up applications to new customers. Further, we ask that your members dedicate resources for underserved small businesses that were less likely to have banking relationships prior to the crisis,” the senators continued.

The full text of the letter can be found here and below:

We are writing today to express concerns about banks limiting access to the Paycheck Protection Program. We have heard from many constituents that because they do not have a preexisting account or because their lender is not accepting applications, that they are unable to apply for relief through this vital program. Unfortunately, many of these same customers that do not have preexisting relationships are those most likely to be already struggling to pay their bills and keep their businesses afloat. We are calling for your member banks with the resources to do so to open up applications for new customers urgently.

The rollout of the program has been far from smooth. Guidance was confusing for both banks and businesses, the application changed last minute, and many banks are stuck in a backlog waiting for approval for their lender applications or additional ETRANs licenses. Simultaneously, hundreds of thousands of small businesses from across the country started reaching out to apply or inquire about the application process last Friday. It is understandable why many banks’ initial reaction was to limit the pool of applicants and focus on those customers that they already have relationships with and whose information they already have on file. But these decisions will have unintended consequences across the economy and among underserved communities in particular.

Collectively, these individual decisions to limit access to the application process have locked hundreds of thousands of businesses out at a time when they are desperately seeking support. This will lead to businesses receiving or not receiving funding solely based on which bank they picked years ago. It will undermine Americans’ faith that the program was intended to be broad and accessible to nearly all small businesses. Unfortunately, limited access to the program will also disproportionately harm small businesses owned by women and minorities and small businesses located in rural communities.

Access to capital in the best of times is a challenge for minority-owned and women-owned small businesses. Coming into the crisis, Black-, Asian-American-, and Hispanic-owned businesses were less likely than White-owned businesses to have a loan or line of credit and more likely to rely on personal funds as a primary source of funding.[i] Similarly, women-owned firms start out with less capital than men-owned businesses, continue to face capital disparities in later years, and are less likely to raise external capital.[ii] Adding an additional barrier to this vital program will disproportionately harm these underserved communities that were already coming into the crisis with less access to capital.

There are concerning geographical implications to restricting access to the program early on. Rural businesses are more likely than urban to have a loan, but are substantially more likely to work with a small bank.[iii] As larger banks have the resources to process Paycheck Protection Program applications faster early on, this disparity could result in rural small businesses having to wait longer to get their applications in and therefore get relief.

We will continue to push for the federal support and guidance necessary to make this program work, including pushing to get more community banks up and running on the Paycheck Protection Program. In the meantime, we are writing to ask the banking community, particularly those banks with the most resources to do so, to start opening up applications to new customers. Further, we ask that your members dedicate resources for underserved small businesses that were less likely to have banking relationships prior to the crisis.

This is an unprecedented economic challenge. We are encouraged by how eagerly banks have stepped in to play their role in helping keep America’s small businesses going and make the Paycheck Protection Program a success. One of the key features of this program, though, is broad access and limited barriers. We need to make sure all businesses have access to these programs, and we are asking for your help in doing so.

Sincerely,

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On call with bipartisan Secretaries of State, Sens. Coons, Klobuchar, Wyden discuss how to secure additional funding for elections and protect voting rights during COVID-19 pandemic

WILMINGTON, Del. – On Thursday, April 9, 2020, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ranking Member of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee responsible for the Election Assistance Commission, Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ranking Member of the Rules Committee with oversight jurisdiction over federal elections, and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, held a call with a bipartisan group of Secretaries of State to discuss protecting voting rights during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“It’s clear that our 2020 elections are at risk, and we must act now to ensure that Americans across the country can access the ballot box,” Senator Coons said. “That’s why Senator Klobuchar, Senator Wyden, and I are advocating within Congress to secure more funding and direction in the next stimulus package to help states expand vote-by-mail, early voting, and online voter registration, because it’s our responsibility to ensure that a safe and accessible election will happen. I was grateful for the opportunity to discuss this critical issue with a bipartisan group of Secretaries of State, and I look forward to continuing our work together as we prepare for November.”

“Americans shouldn’t have to choose between their health and casting a ballot. And it is wrong to shortchange our election officials as we provide relief to address the effects of this global pandemic,” Senator Klobuchar said. “So as Congress prepares to provide additional relief to the country, I am committed to getting election officials the resources they need and expanding opportunities for Americans to safely cast a ballot. No matter the severity of the threat facing our country, the most fundamental part of our democracy – our elections – must go on.”

“There are 208 days until the election. Congress needs to do something immediately so that states have time to purchase the technology to scale-up vote-by-mail and early voting. Otherwise we could face total chaos this November,” Senator Wyden said.

“I appreciate the opportunity to share the challenges we’re facing in administering elections at the State level in the current environment and the current crisis that impacts all of us,” said Delaware Election Commissioner Anthony Albence.

“Washington state’s vote-by-mail system is accessible, secure, fair, and instills confidence in our voters. Despite the coronavirus outbreak mounting during the last few days of our presidential primary voting period in early March, our voters still had an opportunity to cast ballots thanks to vote-by-mail,” said Republican Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman, whose state was an early epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Election officials, lawmakers, and other leaders across the political spectrum must come together to work on sustainable solutions to maintain access to democracy while keeping voters, election workers, and our voting systems safe. As states work to ensure every eligible person has an opportunity to vote in the upcoming elections, increased absentee voting and vote-by-mail must be options on the table.”  

“State election officials know that it’s of the utmost importance that the wheels of our democracy continue to turn unabated during this crisis and into the future,” said Democratic New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver. “Pro-voter policies like expanded early voting and providing eligible voters with vote-by-mail opportunities will keep voters safe and provide more access to our democracy.”

The call highlighted critical measures that should be implemented by state and local election officials to ensure that everyone can safely cast a ballot during the upcoming primaries and in the general election. 

Last month, Senators Coons, Klobuchar, and Wyden introduced the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act of 2020, which would expand early in-person voting and no-excuse absentee vote-by-mail to all states and reimburse states for all additional costs in administering elections during the coronavirus pandemic. The legislation has a total of 26 cosponsors. 

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Sen. Coons secures $3 million in election funding to help ensure Delawareans can safely vote during the COVID-19 pandemic

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), the Ranking Member of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee responsible for the Election Assistance Commission, led the successful effort to secure $3 million in election funding for Delaware to help the state prepare for the 2020 election in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The $3 million comes out of the $400 million in election funding that Senator Coons helped to secure in the third stimulus package, or the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

“If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it is that preparation and early action are central to a competent response,” said Senator Coons. “If we’re going to ensure a safe, secure, and accessible election in November, states across the country will need to expand vote-by-mail, early voting, and online registration, and this funding will help implement those changes. I believe that no American should have to choose between their right to vote and their health, and I’m going to keep fighting so that no American has to make that choice.”

Senator Coons introduced the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act of 2020 with U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) to expand no-excuse absentee vote-by-mail to all states, extend early in-person voting in every state to at least 20 days, and reimburse states for additional costs in administering elections during the pandemic. Senators Coons and Klobuchar also wrote a letter to congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, and Kevin McCarthy, urging them to include funding to protect our elections in the third stimulus package.

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Sens. Coons, Graham to Chinese Ambassador: ‘We write to urgently request that China immediately close all operating wet markets’

WILMINGTON, Del. — U.S. Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) sent a letter to Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai advocating for the closure of high-risk wet markets in China.

“We write to urgently request that China immediately close all operating wet markets that have a potential to expose humans to health risks through the introduction of zoonotic disease into the human population,” the senators wrote.

“Gao Fu, the director of China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, has acknowledged that ‘the origin of the new coronavirus is the wildlife sold illegally in a Wuhan (China) seafood market.’ It is well documented that wet markets in China have been the source of a number of worldwide health problems, and their operation should cease immediately so as to protect the Chinese people and the international community from additional health risks,” the senators continued.

Full text of the letter can be found here and below.

Dear Mr. Ambassador:

We write to urgently request that China immediately close all operating wet markets that have a potential to expose humans to health risks through the introduction of zoonotic disease into the human population.  Gao Fu, the director of China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, has acknowledged that “the origin of the new coronavirus is the wildlife sold illegally in a Wuhan (China) seafood market.” It is well documented that wet markets in China have been the source of a number of worldwide health problems, and their operation should cease immediately so as to protect the Chinese people and the international community from additional health risks.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health, recently called for the closing of these markets. He stated that “they should shut down [wet markets] right away. I mean it boggles my mind when we have so many diseases that emanate out of that unusual human animal interface that we don’t just shut it down. I don’t know what else has to happen to get us to appreciate that. And I think that there are certain countries in which this is very common place.  I would like to see the rest of the world really lean with a lot of pressure on those countries that have that because what we are going through right now is a direct result of that.”  His statement is both true and urgent, and his advice should be followed immediately. We believe China should play an important role in shutting down its wet markets that expose humans to health risks and by urging other countries to do the same.

In the October 2006 issue of Current Opinions in Infectious Diseases, it was found that “in Chinese wet-markets, unique epicenters for transmission of potential viral pathogens, new genes may be acquired or existing genes modified through various mechanisms such as genetic reassortment, recombination and mutation. The wet-markets, at closer proximity to humans, with high viral burden or strains of higher transmission efficiency, facilitate transmission of the viruses to humans.”

Chinese leader Xi Jinping stated that China would “resolutely outlaw and harshly crackdown” on wildlife trafficking.  Earlier this year, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, took steps to close the country’s wet markets. In an accompanying statement, the National People’s Congress declared “it is necessary to strengthen market supervision, resolutely ban and severely crack down on illegal wildlife markets and trade, and control major public health risks from the source.” Despite these statements, wet markets in Wuhan and throughout China are back in operation after the recent shut downs.

Therefore we are urging China to shut down all wet markets that allow for interactions between humans and wild animals that pose public health risks.  We understand and respect that wet markets are an important component to Chinese society and way of life, but we believe the current moment, which has disrupted everyday life around the world, calls for extreme precautions.  We anxiously await your reply to our request.

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Sen. Coons, colleagues call for action to prevent counterfeiting, price gouging of medical supplies amid COVID-19 pandemic

WILMINGTON, Del. — U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), and 13 other senators in urging President Donald Trump to act to prevent price gouging, as well as fraudulent and counterfeit supplies, which are hampering efforts to treat patients and combat the spread of COVID-19.

“Every day, profiteers and scam artists are taking advantage of desperate buyers and the unprecedented demand for personal protective equipment by charging obscene prices and selling counterfeit or fraudulent goods,” the senators wrote. “Local and state governments, health care providers, first responders, and affected critical industries are scrambling to find new or additional sources of this equipment and, even worse, competing against each other for dwindling supplies.”  

“When those buyers, struggling to replace their diminishing stocks, are forced to turn to international suppliers outside their accustomed channels and dubious third-party brokers, Americans are less safe,” the senators continued. “When health care providers pay outrageous, marked-up prices for personal protective equipment, only to discover that they purchased counterfeit items, those providers cannot safely and effectively do their jobs.”

The senators called for President Trump to develop a comprehensive, efficient, and nationwide strategy designed to ensure that quality medical supplies are produced and effectively distributed to areas of critical need. They also urged the President to direct law enforcement and regulatory agencies to swiftly investigative claims of price gouging and counterfeiting.

In addition to Senators Coons and Hassan, the letter was signed by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Angus King (I-Maine), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.).

The full text of the letter is available here or below:

Dear President Trump:

We write today to bring your attention to the serious impact that price gouging, as well as fraudulent and counterfeit goods, are having on our country’s ability to treat patients and combat the spread of the COVID-19. We urge you to swiftly exercise the authorities at your disposal to improve distribution channels, prevent fraud, and better protect patients, health care providers, first responders, critical infrastructure workers, and all Americans.

Every day, profiteers and scam artists are taking advantage of desperate buyers and the unprecedented demand for personal protective equipment by charging obscene prices and selling counterfeit or fraudulent goods. Local and state governments, health care providers, first responders, and affected critical industries are scrambling to find new or additional sources of this equipment and, even worse, competing against each other for dwindling supplies.

When those buyers, struggling to replace their diminishing stocks, are forced to turn to international suppliers outside their accustomed channels and dubious third-party brokers, Americans are less safe. When health care providers pay outrageous, marked-up prices for personal protective equipment, only to discover that they purchased counterfeit items, those providers cannot safely and effectively do their jobs.

We implore you to exercise the strong manufacturing and supply channel oversight needed to keep profiteers and counterfeiters from taking advantage of vulnerable Americans. In addition to improving the integrity and oversight of personal protective equipment distribution to free the national supply chain of counterfeit items, we also urge you to protect Americans by directing national law enforcement and regulatory agencies to swiftly investigate allegations of counterfeiting and price-gouging.

Your executive orders of March 18 and March 23, 2020 delegated authority to a number of executive branch officials to take actions to prevent hoarding and to determine the “proper nationwide priorities and allocation of all health and medical resources, including controlling the distribution of such materials […] in the civilian market.” The voluntary support from industry and manufacturers that your administration has largely relied upon thus far is an important initial step, and we are heartened by American businesses that are stepping up and working to meet the challenge. However, in this crisis, volunteerism can neither equal nor replace a comprehensive, efficient, and nationwide strategy designed to ensure that quality medical supplies are produced and effectively distributed to areas of critical need.

We, therefore, respectfully urge that you develop a response that strategically manufactures, allocates, and distributes medical supplies so as to prevent the introduction of counterfeit or fraudulent personal protective equipment into the supply chain, prevent profiteering and price gouging, and ensure that our local, state, and federal governments are all working together to fight the pandemic, rather than being forced into competing with one another for critical medical supplies.

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Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester announce $7 million in CARES Act grants from HUD

WILMINGTON, Del. — Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper, Chris Coons and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) announced grant awards totaling nearly $7 million from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to Delaware from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. 

These HUD grants are distributed through its Community Development Block Grant, Emergency Solutions Grant, and Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS programs to help Delaware combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“This funding is crucial for our most vulnerable populations in Delaware,” said Senator Carper. “From providing homeless assistance to helping those who are immunocompromised stay healthy during this pandemic, these grants will help our cities and agencies meet the needs of our neighbors.”

“With nearly $7 million in new housing and community development grants, our partners across the state of Delaware can better serve those most in need – from individuals experiencing homelessness to the immunocompromised,” said Senator Coons. “In my role on the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to identify ways the federal government can bolster local efforts as we battle COVID-19.”

“Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, I’ve been very concerned about at-risk populations, and in particular, those who are homeless or who are immunocompromised,” said Rep. Blunt Rochester. “We will continue our work to ensure that those vulnerable populations can secure the housing they need and deserve during this crisis.”

“Each day our partners throughout the Mid-Atlantic are working to overcome the challenges presented by COVID-19,” said Joe DeFelice, regional administrator for HUD’s Mid-Atlantic region. “The innovation and collaboration have been remarkable—and heartwarming. In Delaware, the Continuum of Care, in collaboration with New Castle County and with assistance from the City of Wilmington, used the County’s Community Development Block Grant public service dollars to rent portable toilets and sinks—creating handwashing stations for those who had no place to go once libraries, restaurants and shops were closed to the public. There are so many powerful stories like this one, of neighbors helping neighbors. With this new funding, nearly $7 million in the First State alone, there will be many more opportunities to help those who are and will be in need due to the pandemic. I look forward to the day when this is all behind us, and I can thank all who stepped up face-to-face.” 

“This much needed infusion of federal funds will help to mitigate the devastating effects of the COVID-19 crisis on Wilmington’s most disadvantaged residents,” said Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki. “We will continue to work with our federal delegation and agencies throughout this continuing crisis because we are united in our efforts to ensure that vulnerable City residents are sheltered, fed and safe.”

A breakdown of the funding to Delaware:

$4.4 Million of the $2 Billion to Help States, Communities, and Non-profits:

·               Construct medical facilities for testing and treatment.

·               Acquire a motel or hotel building to expand capacity of hospitals to accommodate isolation of patients during recovery.

·               Replace HVAC systems to temporarily transform commercial buildings or closed school buildings into clinics or treatment centers.

·               Support businesses manufacturing medical supplies.

·               Construct a group living facility to centralize patients undergoing treatment.

·               Carry out job training of health care workers and technicians who are available to treat disease within a community.

·               These funds will be allocated under HUD’s Community Development Block Grant program. View specific state and grantee allocations here. 

$2.1 Million of the $1 Billion to Keep America’s Homeless Citizens Safe:

·            Build more emergency shelters for homeless individuals and families.

·            Operate emergency shelters by providing maintenance, rent, repair, security, fuel, equipment, insurance, utilities, food, furnishings, and supplies necessary for the operation. 

·            Provide Hotel/Motel Vouchers for homeless families or individuals.

·            Provide essential services to people experiencing homelessness including childcare, education services, outreach, employment assistance, outpatient health services, legal services, mental health services, substance abuse treatment services, and transportation.

·            Prevent individuals from becoming homeless and rapidly rehouse homeless individuals.

·            These funds will be allocated under HUD’s Emergency Solutions Grants program. View specific state and grantee allocations here.

$335,000 of the $63.7 Million to Help American’s with Compromised Immune Systems:

·            Increase the level of safe, stable housing for Persons Living with HIV/AIDS and their household members, by providing rental and utility assistance and other short-term lodging assistance to address isolation and self-quarantine needs.  

·            Ensure access to HIV medical care and treatment, chemical dependency treatment, and mental health treatment.

·            Provide persons with compromised immune systems with nutritional services and assistance with daily living.

·            Assist in job training and placement assistance.

·            HUD will award these funds under HUD’s Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) program. View specific state and grantee allocations here. 

Cuts Red Tape to Allow for Targeting of COVID-19 Response:

·            The authority to provide housing assistance payments for rent, mortgage, utilities for up to 24 months.

·            The authority to use funds to self-isolate, quarantine, or provide other CDC-recommended infection control services for household members not living with HIV/AIDS.

·            The authority to use funds to provide relocation services (including lodging at hotels, motels, or other locations) for persons living with HIV/AIDS and household members not living with HIV/AIDS. 

Of the $335,043 in funding announced through HUD’s HOPWA program, more than half of the funding was awarded through competitive grants. Awards are based on competitive applications from States, local governments and nonprofit organizations with priority given by congressional authority to the renewal of expiring permanent supportive housing project grants. Two Wilmington nonprofits received funding including the Ministry of Caring, Inc., $88,126, and Connections Community Support Programs, $84,437.

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Carper, Coons request COVID-19 testing data from CDC to ensure effective response to the pandemic

WILMINGTON, Del. — U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) joined Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and 14 other colleagues to urge the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to publicly report all available information about who is able to access COVID-19 tests, which continue to be scarce.

The members of Congress requested data broken down by sex, race, ethnicity, whether a patient is a health care provider and any other available demographics. The CDC is currently only disclosing a subset of its data, primarily the age groups of those testing positive, hospitalizations and fatalities. 

Joining the request to CDC Director Robert R. Redfield were Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and U.S. Representatives Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.).

“As COVID-19 spreads into more American communities, government agencies and academic and industry researchers are working hard to understand the depth and breadth of the pandemic and its impact on the health and well-being of Americans,” the members wrote. “To this end, it is important to document if particular groups in the United States are at greater risk for the virus and why.”

The members requested the CDC publicly report demographic information collected on the Human Infection with 2019 Novel Coronavirus Person Under Investigation (PUI) and Case Report Form – sex, race, ethnicity, whether a patient is a health care provider and any other available demographics – as a function of: 

a) access to testing; 

b) positive test results; 

c) hospitalizations; 

d) intensive care unit admissions; and 

e) fatalities.

They also requested that any updated PUI and Case Report Form include updated categories for race, ethnicity, sex, primary language and disability status consistent with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Guidance on Data Collection Standards, as well as an input for “specialty” of the health care worker.

To allow government agencies and researchers access to the data, the members also requested that the data be made available as a National Center for Health Statistics public-use data file.

A digital copy of the letter text is available here.

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Sen. Coons, colleagues urge closing of live wildlife markets in China, elsewhere to stop future pandemics

WILMINGTON, Del. — Yesterday, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate International Conservation Caucus, sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, urging him to work with U.S. international partners to prevent and mitigate future outbreaks of zoonotic disease by closing wildlife markets that sell live animals for human consumption.

The senators write, “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), three out of four new or emerging infectious diseases in people come from animals, including several recent viral outbreaks.  SARS, HIV, Ebola, MERS, and H5N1 influenza all started in animals before spreading to humans.  Poorly regulated markets where live animals and wildlife parts and products are sold provide significant opportunities for the human-animal interactions that lead to disease transmission…We encourage the Department, in collaboration with our international partners and with other relevant U.S. government agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Agency for International Development, to work to close down unregulated wildlife markets that pose a threat to public health, combat the broader trade in illegal wildlife and wildlife products, and strengthen food safety and security around the world.”

The full letter can be found here and below.

April 7, 2020

Dear Secretary Pompeo:

Thank you for the work the Department of State is doing to respond to the outbreak of novel coronavirus around the world.  We are writing to urge you to take action, in partnership with other federal agencies, to shut down global illegal wildlife trade and prevent and mitigate future outbreaks of zoonotic disease. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), three out of four new or emerging infectious diseases in people come from animals, including several recent viral outbreaks.  SARS, HIV, Ebola, MERS, and H5N1 influenza all started in animals before spreading to humans.  Poorly regulated markets where live animals and wildlife parts and products are sold provide significant opportunities for the human-animal interactions that lead to disease transmission.

While the origin of the introduction of the novel coronavirus into humans has yet to be confirmed, the CDC reports that “many of the patients at the epicenter of the outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China had some link to a large seafood and live animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread.”^[1]  In response to this risk, China announced a decision to permanently ban trade in wildlife for human consumption.  The Prime Minister of Vietnam has also directed his government to prohibit wildlife trade and consumption by April 1.  Such decisions should be welcomed, encouraged, and supported to ensure their effective implementation.  However, markets where both live animals and wildlife parts and products are sold continue to pose public health threats elsewhere around the world, as well as contributing to wildlife trafficking.

We encourage the Department, in collaboration with our international partners and with other relevant U.S. government agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Agency for International Development, to work to close down unregulated wildlife markets that pose a threat to public health, combat the broader trade in illegal wildlife and wildlife products, and strengthen food safety and security around the world.  

We thank you for your attention to this critical and timely issue.

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Sen. Coons, colleagues to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin: make sure Americans experiencing homelessness get coronavirus relief payments

WILMINGTON, Del. — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and 26 other senators on a letter to ensure the Trump Administration is taking the steps necessary to make certain that people experiencing homelessness across the country receive coronavirus relief payments.

In a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin Tuesday, the senators urged the administration to consider the steep barriers people experiencing homelessness will confront when trying to access the direct stimulus payments provided in the recent bipartisan COVID-19 relief package. The senators also pressed Sec. Mnuchin to launch a public awareness campaign to make sure that people experiencing homelessness are aware of their eligibility for these payments.

“[P]eople experiencing homelessness face unique barriers to receiving the payments they are entitled to under the law. Many have no bank account in which they could receive a direct deposit, and no fixed address to receive a check in the mail – and if they do receive a check, fees at check cashing institutions are often exorbitantly high,” the senators wrote to Mnuchin. “[They] are among those most in need of the economic relief payments, but also are among the groups of individuals facing the biggest impediments to accessing those funds.”

In the letter, the senators asked Mnuchin to publish guidance stating that Americans without a permanent address or bank account are not precluded from relief payments. They also asked the Department to publish specific procedures to help those without a bank account, government-issued identification, or a permanent address get access to their payments. Finally, the senators pushed him to conduct a public awareness campaign aimed at identifying Americans experiencing homelessness and helping them get their payments.

Joining Sens. Coons and Smith on the letter are Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Michael F. Bennett (D-Colo.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Robert P. Casey, Jr., (D-Pa.), and Cory A. Booker (D-N.J.).

You can read the letter here. 

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