In The News
Johns Hopkins University’s global COVID-19 tracker, which has served as a valuable tool for tracking the coronavirus since the map was publicly released in January, is getting a $200,000 injection of federal funding. Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, and Reps. Dutch Ruppersberger and John P. Sarbanes, Democrats who represent Maryland, made the announcement Wednesday. “Accurate, real-time information about the spread of COVID-19 in each and every community is critical for our response to the pandemic. The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard remains the foremost tracking resource for public health experts and policymakers nationwide,” the lawmakers said in a release. “We are committed to delivering sustained federal support to this important project.”
Members of the Maryland congressional delegation urged President Trump to allow the state to use federal facilities, such as Fort Meade and the National Institutes of Health, for coronavirus testing. In a letter to the president, the delegation said that designating the National Capital Region as a federally supported testing site is critical for the increased testing needed to reopen the region. “In order to be able to first mitigate the outbreak and subsequently begin restarting our economy, we must utilize the full and complete testing resources that we have at the federal and state level,” the letter reads. “These labs can be key to ensuring the state’s recovery plan is successful and we get Marylanders back to work as safely and quickly as possible.” ... The congressional letter is signed by Reps. Anthony G. Brown (D), Steny H. Hoyer (D), Andy Harris (R), C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D), John Sarbanes (D), Jamie B. Raskin (D), David Trone (D) and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D). The lawmakers note that Vice President Pence on April 20 said that federal laboratories will be made available to states across the country.
So far Congress has passed more than $2.2 trillion dollars of stimulus funding. Part of that funding is being distributed to individuals and small businesses through the CARES Act…. This week, Congress is voting on additional stimulus funding. Sen. Mark Warner (D) of Virginia is referring to it as stimulus bill 3.5. He says the focus of this legislation is replenishing the small businesses funds and making sure funding gets to small businesses that were missed before…. Rep. John Sarbanes (D) of Maryland agrees. He feels more money is needed, but says oversight in how it is distributed is key. "We're pushing very hard right now in negotiations in Washington to replenish that fund with an additional $250 billion," says Sarbanes. "But we're also very focused on the fact that some of those dollars are not getting to the smallest businesses."
Larry Miller explores with Congressman John Sarbanes calls for 2020 Census delays and restrictions the Constitution places on this process.
The Maryland congressional delegation sent a letter Tuesday to the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, urging him to reconsider how future money is allocated to Maryland hospitals under the CARES Act, which Congress passed late last month. The delegation specifically has asked department Secretary Alex Azar to consider COVID-19 hot spots and under-served areas of the state in future disbursements, with an eye towards transparency in the decision-making process…. According to a letter penned jointly by U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.) and Reps. Steny H. Hoyer, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Andrew P. Harris, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie B. Raskin and David J. Trone, the Department of Health and Human Services based funding allocations for the first round of disbursements off of 2019 Medicare Part A and B claims in an effort to speed up the process of apportioning the money…. “While we understand that using Medicare Parts A and B claims from 2019 allowed HHS to disburse the first tranche of funds quickly, it has disadvantaged other critical providers that serve vulnerable and low-income populations,” they wrote, specifically noting the hit taken by nursing homes, children’s hospitals and health care providers in under-served regions of the state.
Some lawmakers are throwing their support behind an effort to give the National Park Service some oversight over the Chesapeake Bay, but they warn further scrutiny is needed…. In 2009, President Obama signed an executive order recognizing the nation's largest estuary as a national treasure and calling on agencies to better coordinate on restoration efforts…. But bay champions say the National Park System — which includes national parks, national monuments, trails and recreation areas — would yield additional benefits, including more visitors and recognition. "The designation of the bay as a national recreation area can bring crucial resources to our conservation efforts, while driving continued economic success," an aide to Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) told E&E News. Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, is actively organizing support for the effort and soliciting feedback…. In the House, Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.), co-chair of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force, will lead a bipartisan legislative effort. "The Chesapeake Bay has long been an economic driver for our region and an environmental treasure for our nation. It deserves close consideration for a national park unit designation," Sarbanes said. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said the bay is one of Maryland's and the nation's greatest natural resources and is critical to the livelihoods of Marylanders. Hoyer said the "potential designation of the Chesapeake Bay as a national park is an interesting idea that deserves careful consideration." House Natural Resources Committee member, Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Md.), is eager to advance "innovative conservation efforts" with partners like the Chesapeake Conservancy but is concerned about the lack of investment into the bay by the current administration. "The Chesapeake Bay is absolutely vital to Maryland's ecosystem, cultural heritage and economy," said Brown in a statement. "At a time when the Trump Administration has consistently tried to cut funding for Bay restoration," he said, "our priority must be first and foremost protecting existing conservation efforts and laying the groundwork to expand the promising work being done."
Maryland’s congressional delegation said Monday that the state’s colleges and universities will receive over $170 million in federal aid through a measure in the CARES Act that Congress passed late last month. U.S. Sens. Chirs Van Hollen (D-Md.), Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.) and Reps. Steny H. Hoyer, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Andrew P. Harris, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie B. Raskin and David J. Trone jointly announced that Maryland is in line for $170,544,958 in funding, half of which is to be applied directly to assistance efforts for students confronting emergency expenses in the face of the public health crisis. “The coronavirus has upended the lives of students across our state,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement. “These funds will provide targeted relief to students, and longer-term assistance to our colleges and universities, to help them weather this storm.” Students enrolled in University System of Maryland institutions are to receive a combined $40,253,827; other public university students will collect $6,222,058; community college students will be awarded $26,942,996 in aid; and private, non-profit school students will net $11,351,623 in assistance. The state’s HBCUs will see $11,065,055 in assistance from this pot of money. The news release said that additional “dedicated assistance” for HBCUs and minority serving institutions has been allocated under the CARES Act, as well, and will be announced soon.
Black Marylanders are suffering disproportionately from the new coronavirus shows information released Thursday by the state for the first time, drawing frustration, but not surprise from area political leaders and observers…. In addition to racial data, Scott said, officials need geographic data to understand disparities. He recently introduced a bill requiring the city health commissioner to report patients’ races and ZIP codes during a health emergency. Others also are calling for that kind of geographic information, including the Democratic members of Maryland’s congressional delegation, which sent a letter Thursday to Hogan. “We share your concern about the disproportionate impact that COVID-19 appears to be having on black Marylanders and believe that this initial data demonstrates a need for more granular reporting by ZIP code,” said the letter. “Additionally, we urge you to report complete and comprehensive data for all patients as expeditiously as possible and ensure that this data is informing Maryland’s COVID-19 response efforts,” said the letter from Democratic Maryland Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen as well as Democratic U.S. Reps. Steny Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Anthony Brown, Jamie Raskin, and David Trone.
Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) along with the Maryland Congressional Delegation are urging FEMA to fulfill the state’s request, claiming that Maryland has only received about a third of supplies requested.... The medical supplies needed would help fight the coronavirus in the state. The supplies requested from FEMA include ventilators, personal protective equipment (PPE), testing chemical supplies, nasopharyngeal swabs, pharmacy cache for medical surge site and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mobile labs/examination center.... In addition to the supplies, the Maryland Congressional Delegation also supports the Crisis Counseling Program (CCP), which was requested by the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) but still awaits approval. “Crisis counseling seeks to prevent the onset of diagnosable disorders by helping survivors understand that they are experiencing common reactions to extraordinary occurrences” said Congressman Sarbanes and the Maryland Congressional Delegation in a press release. “Counselors help enhance social and emotional connections to others in the community and promote effective coping strategies and resilience.”