6 minute read
COVID-19
When the pandemic swept over the world, Congress came together with a three-fold response: protecting healthcare, protecting individuals and families, and protecting small business.
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As traumatic as coronavirus has been for our nation, I am extraordinarily proud of Nebraskans. We have led the nation in sustaining important food production, caring for patients with COVID-19, and meeting the needs of small business.
CORONAVIRUS REPONSE
Congress responded early in the pandemic with a series of bills. We invested in vaccines, treatments, diagnostics, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to ensure that our medical system and professionals could care for patients with COVID-19. We transferred resources to states so they could provide a public health response for citizens. We provided funds to ensure that businesses could continue to employ as many people as possible. We supported individuals with a payment of $1200 to protect against economic anxiety. We also extended federal unemployment compensation as part of state unemployment benefits.
One of the bills, the CARES Act, included important protection for businesses, particularly small businesses. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a bipartisan airlift, saved over 300,000 jobs in the Cornhusker State. Nebraska ranked number one in the nation in the number of PPP loans approved, per capita. A national reporter called to ask me why. “Nebraskans know how to plow,” I replied. Our financial institutions are community-oriented: The banker knows the farmer, the banker knows the barber, the banker knows the café owner. In coordination with small business associations, the Small Business Administration (SBA), and community bankers, we got the word out quickly. The entrepreneurial spirit of Nebraska kicked into high gear as a lot of people got busy.
Due to COVID-19, telehealth, tele-education, and telework are here to stay. They are revolutionizing how we interact as a community. Poor internet in places holds us back, and I am working to ensure that all Americans have access to this vital service. Watch my speech on rural broadband from the U.S. House of Representatives: https://bit.ly/3jKMKNQ
NEBRASKA’S PPP SUCCESS STORIES
It was great to be with the people at Vireo Resources, a nutraceutical pioneer in Plattsmouth, Nebraska. They received a PPP loan and kept going strong, as their cleaning supplies and immune support products helped out during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The message from our visit with General Excavating & H.R. Bookstrom Construction was, “Business is good.” The PPP loan program gave needed assurance when the uncertainty of COVID came upon us. Thank you to both companies for fighting through and building Nebraska. The Paycheck Protection Program has been crucial for protecting small businesses. I had an inspirational visit with Michael Behrens, owner of Black Cow, Fat Pig restaurant in Norfolk. No doubt it’s tough. But when I asked Mike if he’d survive, he said, “absolutely.”
NEBRASKA’S PPP SUCCESS STORIES
“The Fort is still standing.” It was great to visit with Steve Wohlfarth and the team at The Fort, the iconic shops for all things western based in Lincoln. The PPP loan provided critical relief when the pandemic hit and helped keep everyone working.
This Fall I stopped in at Craft Axe Throwing, a business with a unique combination of services— beer and axe-throwing. PPP helped keep staff on during the downtime, and business continues to show growth. I invite you to review my visit at: https://bit.ly/2HGDQD2 It was so good to see Amy, former teacher, and owner of Apples and More in Bellevue. The educational supply store was able to stay open with assistance from the COVID-19 relief package. Glad we were able to help.
NEBRASKA’S PPP SUCCESS STORIES
It was a busy day when I visited Erica Estrada’s La Guerita, a small grocery store in Madison, Nebraska. We arrived just as the bread was coming in. Erica took a moment to talk to me about the Paycheck Protection Program. She said, “Thanks, it worked!” Gross Catholic High School of Bellevue are champions in robotics. I got a great demonstration and test drive! Gross received a PPP loan, enabling them to keep the doors open, assuring families and the community.
This was different! Katheryn is a Nebraska state archery champion at Cornerstone Christian School in Bellevue. We got the chance to shoot a few flights during my visit this fall. The school received a PPP loan that helped them continue their rich educational tradition.
GETTING NEBRASKANS HOME
When the pandemic hit, some Nebraskans were out of the country. Borders were shutting down. We aggressively worked to help people in their particular circumstance get home. In one case, I received an urgent message from a citizen of Lincoln. His child along with dozens of other
Students on a mission trip in Central America. kids were doing mission work with a church in Lincoln and were caught in Central America. After working with private transportation companies, we thought we had a solution. Then the government stopped all flights. During the night, I quickly called the Assistant Secretary of State who got our ambassador on the line, and we worked on a plan. That morning, the government allowed the plane to leave.
NEBRASKA’S RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC
Leaders at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said the University of Nebraska Medical Center was like a modern day Statue of Liberty, raising its hand as the first medical institution willing to receive infected American COVID-19 patients from abroad. In those early days of fear and anxiety, it was an exceptionally noble act.
A COVID SUCCESS STORY: TYSON BEEF PLANT, MADISON, NE
We had a big problem with coronavirus hitting us hard at the local Tysons plant in Madison, Nebraska. Norfolk Mayor, Josh Moenning, and the Director of Elkhorn Logan Valley Health Department, Gina Uhing, immediately saw the threat and worked aggressively to solve it. Thank you for your leadership!
USDA FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
The supply chain disruptions of the pandemic put farmers in a tight spot. Fresh produce and dairy products meant for restaurants and schools were being wasted during the shutdown. At the same time, food banks were in high demand. In my role, as the Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, we kept in close dialogue with Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, as the USDA created care packages of dairy, meat, and poultry for delivery to food banks to help those facing dire food insecurity. On a visit to a Lincoln Food Bank site, I was told that those who used to help run the food bank were now the ones in line. As the early pandemic took its toll, we worked in Congress with USDA to quickly direct dairy, meat, produce to persons in need. Thankful to Scott Young at Food Bank of Lincoln, who told me, the care boxes are “the coolest product. Easy to distribute, and our clients love them.”
Visiting the Lincoln Food Bank where they have worked hard to help those facing food insecurity.
Checking out the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program at the Food Bank of Lincoln.
The Catholic Social Services and so many agencies, continue to work hard through the pandemic. Thank you to the Peoples City Mission Help Center for all your hard work.
