We Can Reopen Responsibly Sooner
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In Illinois and in Congress
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In Illinois...
Last week, I joined the other Republican members of Congress in Illinois to urge Governor Pritzker to take a regional approach to reopening our economy in low-risk areas of our state. Unfortunately, the plan Governor Pritzker released falls short. It continues to keep businesses closed in areas that even according to his measures should be able to open now. Just a couple months ago, we had one of the best economies I've seen in my lifetime and this week jobless claims hit the highest level since the Great Depression. We need to help people get back to work where we can.
I joined HOI News at 10 to urge the Governor to listen to downstate. We can open up responsibly sooner.
CLICK HERE
or the video below to watch.
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In Congress...
Just as nurses, food workers, and others are doing work that is essential to the country, Congress should be as well. We need to be working on critical legislation that needs to be passed even in the face of this pandemic. We have a responsibility to fund our military, maintain our waterways, and fix our roads and bridges. All of these bills need to be passed this year.
Republicans have a plan to safely reopen Congress, but Speaker Pelosi is the only one who can make the decision to bring members of the House back to work. Members of the Senate were doing their job this week. I'm disappointed that Democrat leadership in the House cancelled yet another session week.
I hope the Speaker will agree with our sense of urgency to get Congress back to work and develop a bipartisan plan to bring members back.
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Working to Help People Keep Health Insurance through COBRA
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As jobless claims hit the highest level since the Great Depression, I'm working to help Americans who have lost their job keep their health insurance through COBRA. I joined a group of bipartisan lawmakers this week to send a letter urging House leaders to include federal assistance to cover some of the cost of COBRA in any future funding bill. This would help people who have lost their job due to COVID-19 be able to keep their same employer-sponsored health plan.
Read a copy of the letter by click
here
or the images below.
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Unemployment Resources Update
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IMPORTANT UPDATE:
Illinois has said the new PUA Portal for self-employed individuals to apply for unemployment insurance will launch on Monday, May 11th. The expansion was funded by the
CARES Act
back in March, but is now being implemented by the State of Illinois. Read what action you need to take if you plan to apply by clicking
here
or the image.
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Coronavirus Live Q&A Episode w/ Springfield Clinic's Dr. Ken Sagins
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Recently, I launched a new
Coronavirus Live Q&A
series on Facebook where I host a special guest to discuss issues impacting either you or others in your community. On Thursday, I was joined by Dr. Ken Sagins, Chief Medical Officer of Springfield Clinic to talk about testing capacity and restarting elective medical procedures.
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130 Million Economic Impact Payments Issued
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The IRS has announced that 130 million Economic Impact Payments have now been issued. Illinois has seen 4,844,140 payments worth $8,169,566,380. If you haven't gotten yours yet there is still more coming. Most people can track their payment on
IRS.gov/coronavirus
. Everyone who receives a payment will receive a follow-up letter confirming the payment was made.
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Illinois Benefiting From Federal Small Business Relief
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The Paycheck Protection Program is working. Illinois is #4 in the nation with 160,000+ forgivable loans approved worth more than $23 billion.
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National Nurses Week: Thank A Nurse
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This week, we celebrate National Nurses Week. As the husband of a nurse, I have a special appreciation for the care they provide day in and day out. Our combined gratitude is especially timely as they serve on the front line of combating the coronavirus. #ThankANurse
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Delivering Hand Sanitizer to Macoupin County
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I was glad to again team up with the Illinois Corn Growers Association and Illinois Soybean Association to deliver much needed hand sanitizer to the Macoupin County Health Department in Carlinville. In total, we delivered 20 gallons of ethanol-based hand sanitizer manufactured by Marquis Energy in Hennepin, IL to communities in Christian, Macoupin, and Montgomery County.
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U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (IL-13) (left) and Illinois Corn Growers Association director Marty Marr (right) deliver hand sanitizer to Macoupin County Public Health Department Director Kent Tarro (middle) at the department building in Carlinville on Monday, May 4th.
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CARES Act Funding for Mass Transit
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This week, I announced that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded CARES Act of more than $24 million to three mass transit systems in the 13th congressional district. I voted for the CARES Act and President Trump signed it into law in March. The mass transit systems will use the grant funds to continue critical bus operations and keep workers on the payroll. This is yet another example of the federal government supporting local government during this crisis.
- Decatur Public Transit System (DPTS): $4,500,000
- Springfield Mass Transit District (SMTD): $7,630,374
- Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (CUMTD): $12,144,666
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U.S. Rep Rodney Davis (IL-13) and House Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member Sam Graves take questions at Davis' Transportation Policy Summit at the Springfield Mass Transit District on August 7th, 2019.
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Introduced the Bipartisan FEED Act to Provide Meals to Those in Need
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If this pandemic has shown us anything, it’s the need to innovate and that’s exactly what the FEED Act does. This bill helps utilize our restaurant industry, which has been hit hard during this pandemic, in a way that’s never been done before. By creating these partnerships between local governments and local restaurants, we can help get meals to people in need more quickly and help the food industry, which is a major employer and a critical part of our economy, during this difficult time.
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U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) participates in a Facebook Live with Chef Jose Andres and U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) on coronavirus and food insecurity.
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3 Ways to Take the 2020 Census
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The U.S. Census Bureau has reported that 62% of IL-13 households have now completed their 2020 Census. Have you?
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Constituent Service Spotlight
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Helping Constituents Cut Through Red Tape in Edwardsville
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“Ms. Linda Yoakum was with me all through the communication I had with USCIS, she was always updating me about my case which gave me confidence that my case was being looked at and in time. She responded to my emails as soon as she could and communicated constantly with USCIS on my behalf. I really appreciate her efforts. God bless her.”
-Ayodeji in Edwardsville, IL
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