Congress

There were no major COVID-related developments in Congress today, with both chambers focused on other legislative priorities – although hearings continue.

Tomorrow, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds a hearing entitled, “COVID-19 and U.S. International Pandemic Preparedness, Prevention, And Response.” On the House side, the Ways and Means Select Revenue Subcommittee holds a hearing on tax relief to support workers and families, the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis holds a hearing on the “unemployment pandemic,” and the Homeland Security Committee holds a hearing on resuming air travel.

Recent Congressional Statements / Letters

• Senate HELP Committee Chair Alexander: Make the Two Most Important COVID-19 Telehealth Policy Changes Permanent, June 17, 2020
• Senators Cruz, Blackburn Introduce Equal Access to Care Act, June 17, 2020
• Senators Klobuchar, Capito Introduce Legislation to Preserve Childcare Savings Lost During Coronavirus Pandemic, June 17, 2020
• Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Brown Statement On HUD and FHFA Again Extending Foreclosure Moratoriums for Homeowners During The Coronavirus Pandemic
• Senate Recycling Caucus Co-Chairs Carper, Boozman Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Expand CARES Act to Waste and Recycling Collection Services, June 17, 2020
• Senators Cassidy, Hassan to Hold Paid Leave Roundtable, June 17, 2020
• Sen. Stabenow: Report: The Price of Inaction is Highest for Poor Families and Low-Wealth Americans, June 17, 2020
• House Chairs Demand That SBA Immediately Comply With GAO’s Oversight of Taxpayer Funds for Coronavirus, June 17, 2020
• House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Velázquez Leads 12 Committee Democrats in Urging SBA to Release Demographic Data of PPP & EIDL Recipients, June 16, 2020
• House Financial Services Committee Chair Waters at Hearing with Fed Chair: Communities of Color Suffering Disproportionately During Pandemic Crisis, June 17, 2020
• House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Thompson Writes DHS on Temperature Check Plan, June 17, 2020
• Representative Matsui Leads Letter Calling on FCC to Expand Flexibility for Internet Connectivity Support During the Pandemic, June 17, 2020
• Representative Larsen: Surface Transportation Bill Key to Infrastructure-Based COVID-19 Recovery, June 17, 2020
• Representatives Pascrell, Porter, DeLauro Call Out Government COVID Favoritism of Private Equity, June 17, 2020
• Representatives Meng and Upton Introduce Farm to Fridge Act to Strengthen Food Security During COVID-19, June 17, 2020
• Representative Kustoff Leads Bipartisan Letter Asking House Leadership to Extend Telehealth Waivers, June 17, 2020
• House Republican Whip Steve Scalise: COVID-19 Nursing Home Violations Must End Immediately, June 17, 2020
• Representative Adams Leads Letter Calling on the Senate to Extend Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) Benefits for Students, June 17, 2020
• Representative Wexton Leads House Democrats in Call for PPP Loan Disclosures as Mnuchin Finally Concedes Need For Transparency, June 17, 2020

Agency Activity

Department of the Treasury

• SBA and Treasury Announce New EZ and Revised Full Forgiveness Applications for the Paycheck Protection Program, June 17, 2020
• PPP Interim Final Rule on Revisions to the Third and Sixth Interim Final Rules, June 17, 2020

Internal Revenue Service

• IRS Outlines Changes To Health Care Spending Available Under CARES Act, June 17, 2020

Food and Drug Administration

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Daily Roundup, June 17, 2020
• FDA Issues Warning Letters to Companies Inappropriately Marketing Antibody Tests, Potentially Placing Public Health at Risk, June 17, 2020
• Guidance Document: Statistical Considerations for Clinical Trials During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Guidance for Industry, June 17, 2020

Department of Defense

• Operation Warp Speed Accelerates COVID-19 Vaccine Development, June 16, 2020

Department of Housing and Urban Development

• White House Opportunity And Revitalization Council Delivers Report To President Donald J. Trump, June 17, 2020

Federal Housing Finance Agency

• FHFA Extends Foreclosure and Eviction Moratorium, June 17, 2020

Department of Agriculture

• USDA Extends Farmers to Families Food Box Program Contracts for Some Vendors, June 17, 2020

Environmental Protection Agency

• U.S. EPA Orders Chemical Manufacturer to Stop Selling Illegal Disinfectants, June 17, 2020

Federal Trade Commission

• Marketer Used Deceptive COVID-19 Stimulus Mailers To Lure Consumers to Used Car Sales, FTC Alleges, June 17, 2020

Federal Communications Commission

• FCC Approves Eleventh Set of COVID-19 Telehealth Program Applications, June 17, 2020

Export-Import Bank

• Chairman Reed Discusses President Trump’s Memorandum on Providing COVID-19 Assistance to the Italian Republic with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and American Chamber of Commerce in Italy, June 16, 2020
• Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee Meets to Discuss EXIM COVID-19 Relief Measures, Opportunities for Healthcare Engagement in the Region, June 16, 2020

State / Local Activity

Given the plethora of state and local actions, we recommend MultiState’s COVID-19 Policy Tracker as a comprehensive tool to monitor the response.