On Memorial Day, we remember those whom we see no more. They are the men and women who died in war while serving our country. As our fellow citizens, they were family, friends, neighbors, members of the community. When our country called, they answered, and they number over a million in all from 1775 to today. Memorial Day was officially declared a national holiday in 1971 by Congress, which desig... Read more »
During the coronavirus outbreak, we have witnessed the heroic work of health care professionals. Doctors and nurses have been on the front lines, treating patients and attending to their health care needs under the trying circumstances of a pandemic. May 17 through 23 of this year is Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week, and the contributions of EMS personnel have been vital as well. As the first... Read more »
Don’t Redefine “Flattening the Curve” I recently spent a day with the New River Public Health Task Force, meeting with its members and touring facilities. The task force has guided the New River region’s response to the coronavirus, and I appreciated the opportunity to learn more firsthand about their important work. Virginia as a whole, unfortunately, has lagged in testing for coronavirus relativ... Read more »
As we continue to address the coronavirus outbreak, it is important also to plan for what comes next. To slow the spread of the virus, states, including Virginia, imposed restrictions on gatherings, shuttered non-essential businesses, ordered citizens to stay at home, and generally curtailed many activities that make up our daily lives. The intent behind these orders was to “flatten the curve,” me... Read more »
The coronavirus outbreak has upended many of the ways we go about our lives. As a Member of Congress, I believe it must not alter the essential duty I was elected to perform: voting in person on legislation. To be sure, many of the regular practices of my job have already changed. When I am not in Washington for votes, hearings, and meetings, I would usually be traveling across the Ninth Congressi... Read more »
The unique and unprecedented challenge posed by the coronavirus pandemic required a fast-moving effort to support the economy as companies had to close or reduce services. In the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Paycheck Protection Program was devised to keep Americans on the payroll of their employers at their current base pay. It does so by providing small business... Read more »
I saw the light, I saw the light No more darkness, no more night Now I'm so happy no sorrow in sight Praise the Lord I saw the light At the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington earlier this year, a group of my colleagues and I sang “I Saw the Light,” a beloved song by Hank Williams Sr. It was a superb choice for the occasion, a rousing song expressing a message of grace. The lyrics indicate tha... Read more »
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, phase three of the legislative response to the coronavirus outbreak, was signed into law on March 27. Because of the law’s enormous size and scope, as well as the challenges of quickly implementing it during an unprecedented crisis, many Americans may be unsure how it applies to them. In this column, I hope to provide clarity on some ... Read more »
The CARES Act The United States has faced war, economic hardship, and disease before. But the coronavirus has inflicted a unique and unprecedented crisis on our country. To slow the spread and bring the coronavirus under control, extraordinary measures were adopted nationally and among the states. In Virginia, gatherings of over ten people have been banned, non-essential businesses have been order... Read more »
Few, if any, events in our lifetimes have had such a widespread impact as the coronavirus outbreak. It is a health concern, but if you are sitting at home reading this when you would otherwise be at work, going out to eat, attending a community event, or participating in any other activity that has been cancelled, you understand just how much our lives and livelihoods have been disrupted. Since mo... Read more »
