Lankford Letter: An Update On Coronavirus Response From The U.S. Senate

Dear Oklahoma friends and neighbors:

Three months ago no one in our nation—or most of the world—knew what coronavirus was and four months ago, the word COVID-19 did not exist. Now, the entire globe is “social distancing,” our businesses and jobs are at risk, and our systems are stretched to the limit. Every day, my website (www. Lankford.Senate.Gov) is updated with new information and ways we can find help or be helpful to each other.

Last December an infection started in China and spread rapidly throughout the region. By January, thousands were showing symptoms, but most of the world did not know it existed. In the last two weeks, the numbers in the US and Oklahoma have increased significantly. Over the last two weeks, millions of Americans have started working from home, washing their hands more regularly, and practicing good social distancing to slow the spread of the virus. This protects everyone but especially our most vulnerable neighbors. When we keep our distance from each other, it saves vital supplies in hospitals and it protects our health care professionals who are working tirelessly for those who have been infected. Without a vaccine, our healthcare and emergency responders are especially vulnerable. We are grateful for the work of so many to keep our communities safe, and we pray for our healthcare professionals, doctors, nurses, EMS, police, firefighters, and everyone else on the front lines of the coronavirus response.

In January President Trump instituted a travel ban, starting with China, and now all international travel to slow the spread. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is encouraging limiting gatherings. First 250, then 50, and now they are asking no more than 10 people gather for the next eight weeks. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued guidance to healthcare professionals so Americans can access their doctors through telehealth so you don’t have the fear of sitting in a waiting room.

In the first congressional response to the coronavirus outbreak, Congress approved $8.3 billion for testing distribution, vaccine development, and immediate support for state health authorities. The House negotiated a second bill with the Trump Administration that passed late Friday night/ early Saturday morning of March 14. A 90-page correction was then passed by the House on Monday night, March 16. The Senate passed it by a vote of 90-8 two days later. I was one of the eight people who voted against the second bill. In the middle of the crisis, the House bill created a new mandate exclusively on small businesses that they had to pay sick leave and family leave for up to 12 weeks with the promise that the federal government would pay that money back in the future. But most small businesses that called my office told me they did not have the cash flow to pay the benefits upfront and that this bill would cause them to lay off their employees or move them to zero hours. Over the past week, that is exactly what happened all over the state. The second bill made a bad situation worse for small businesses. On top of all of those economic problems, Saudi Arabia and Russia decided to have a war over oil production, which has damaged our economy even more.

Before the second bill had even passed the House, the Senate started working on the third coronavirus bill that just passed the Senate yesterday. The focus on the third bill was to get immediate help to healthcare facilities, individuals and businesses of all sizes. This virus swept through the global economy in a way no one could have seen two months ago, so it needed an unprecedented response to stabilize our economy.

I have participated in multiple state-wide telephone town halls and countless individual calls to people all over the state and the federal government to help us get the help we need. I have worked with the banks and credit card companies on programs for late payments, worked on getting more testing and Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), worked with federal agencies on expediting new flexibility for fire fighters, healthcare workers, truck drivers, and multiple other entities. My staff and I have worked to get Oklahomans home from overseas, and we have encouraged all of us to not travel right now until we can get control of the spread of this virus. In addition to that, I have been in direct contact with the leadership of Saudi Arabia to confront them on their oil pricing war and the Corps of Engineers on the status of the lakes and levies in northeast Oklahoma. No one could have fully understood what the last two weeks would be like.

Each day, my website will be updated with the latest information about all of the federal economic programs, health information, and consumer protections available. Whether you are a small business owner needing to know how to access the payroll grant program or an individual needing to know when checks will be sent, you can find that information each day on our website. If you have questions or concerns, you can also reach out to any of my office locations. We are here to serve you.

Sen. James Lankford is Oklahoma’s junior senator in the United States Senate.