The COVID-19 outbreak has affected life in the United States and throughout the world. But, we are learning more about the virus every day and working toward a return to normalcy. Please see below for information that will be helpful to you, your family and our community as we continue to navigate through this time. You can also find daily updates and information by following me on Facebook and Twitter.

Health and Safety
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to keep Americans informed on how to protect themselves and what to do if they contract COVID-19. Please click here for the CDC’s latest updates.

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Administration for Children & Families has been actively working to ensure American children and families have the resources they need during COVID-19. Click here to visit their main COVID-19 website. To check out the family and community services being offered during this time, please click here. The Department’s Administration for Community Living has also published need-to-know COVID-19 tips for older adults and individuals with disabilities.  

You can visit the Veteran’s Administration (VA) website for more information on what they're doing to help stop the spread of COVID-19 by clicking here. The VA continues to work closely with the CDC and other federal agencies to care for our nation’s veterans.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recognize that most Medicare recipients are at higher risk for COVID-19. That is why I encourage people with Medicare to click here to find out CMS’ best COVID-19 practices, along with which health services are covered by Medicare.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is assisting Wisconsin farmers by accepting applications for their Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) through August 28, 2020. For more information, along with the latest details on crop insurance, farm programs and more, please click here.

Businesses and Schools
As some businesses in Wisconsin remain temporarily closed and even as some begin to reopen their doors, it is important that we provide assistance to the backbone of Wisconsin’s economy, our small businesses. With my support, Congress passed legislation that included the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in late March. Last Friday, we saw the success of PPP when the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the U.S. gaines 2.5 million jobs in May instead of a 10 million job loss as some had projected. If you are a small business owner, click here for the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s answers to your questions and further information regarding the PPP.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has released general COVID-19 guidance for small businesses. Additionally, the SBA is accepting applications from eligible small businesses and non-profits for their Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs). To find out if you qualify and to apply for an EIDL, please click here.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation has begun taking applications for a grant program authorized through the CARES Act that is designed to help Wisconsin-based small businesses with fewer than 20 employees and less than $1 million in revenue. Click here for more information and to find out if you are eligible.

If you are an educator or student, please click here for the U.S. Department of Education’s latest guidance for elementary and secondary schools and higher education institutions. For information pertinent to federal student aid, please click here.

For answers to other COVID-19-related questions and resources on topics ranging from Economic Impact Payments to activities you and your children can enjoy while schools are closed, I encourage you to visit the COVID-19 Information section on my website with resources that my staff and I have collected for you and your family.

I am pleased to let you know that I have been appointed to serve as Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform’s Subcommittee on National Security. This means I will be the top Republican on the Subcommittee.

The Subcommittee on National Security has jurisdiction over national security, homeland security, foreign operations, including the relationships of the United States with other nations, immigration, defense, issues affecting veterans, and oversight and legislative jurisdiction over federal acquisition policy related to national security.

I look forward to continuing my work on the increasingly prestigious Oversight and Reform Committee. The Subcommittee on National Security plays an important role in making sure the interests of the United States are being represented equitably and ethically. The Subcommittee also has jurisdiction to oversee immigration, which has improved drastically in the past year but remains an area that needs oversight, as well as issues affecting veterans. As Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, I will make sure our veterans are getting a fair shake, our borders are not being taken advantage of and the United States’ relationships with other countries are being upheld justly.

Did you catch me in the news or on social media this week? Here are some highlights:

Early research shows that healthy vitamin D levels may help curb the ill-effects of COVID-19 by strengthening your immune system. I have been happy to share this data with my constituents because we need to investigate every avenue that can help in the fight against COVID-19. Even if this correlation between vitamin D and the coronavirus is not as strong as these early studies suggest, vitamin D deficiencies are still unhealthy and lead to a weaker immune system. This week, PolitiFact reported on this correlation and gave it a "True" rating. Click here to read the article. And in case you missed it, WISN reported on this a few weeks ago.

Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) appointed members to the newly formed Great Lakes Advisory Board. I am glad that the Trump Administration and the EPA are recognizing the importance of the Great Lakes and look forward to working with the Board to keep our waters healthy as both natural resources and vital economic drivers for America. Click here to read the EPA press release.

Recently, I cosigned a letter alongside my colleagues, addressed to Senator Mitch McConnell, Senator Chuck Schumer, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, urging them to follow the law and respect Hyde Amendment protections in future COVID-19 relief discussions. I will continue to make sure your taxpayer dollars do not go towards funding abortion. Click here to read the letter. 

This financial news website reported on my bipartisan bill, the Veterans and Consumers Fair Credit Act. Usury, or the unethical practice of lending money at high interest rates, has been condemned since Biblical times. Historically, the United States has had usury laws, putting a guard rail up for borrowers. As more and more predatory loans, like payday and auto title loans, are given online, it becomes more difficult for states to deal with the problem of their citizens' snowballing debt. That is why I have introduced this bipartisan bill that would cap these interest rates at 36 percent. We already protect military service members with a 36 percent interest rate cap through the Military Lending Act, which means that Congress has recognized the predatory nature of high-interest loans to our men and women in uniform. This raises the question – if it is wrong to allow predatory lenders to target our service members, why is it right to let them target the rest of the community?