Facing Down the Grave and Growing Threat of COVID-19

Dear Friends,

This week our nation reached chilling new heights in this out-of-control COVID-19 crisis. 

In the past week, more than 1.1 million Americans contracted COVID-19. Nearly 80,000 are in America’s increasingly crowded hospitals. Just this Thursday, 1,923 Americans died of COVID-19, and experts soon expect our nation to reach and even surpass previous records of more than 2,000 deaths in a single day.

These grim numbers are not only rising in faraway cities and communities. Our own Capital Region is experiencing spikes that we haven’t seen since the beginning of this pandemic, with devastating effects and growing risks to our loved ones and our economy. 

• The Capital Region has set a new daily case record three times since the start of November.
  
  • On Monday, Saratoga, Schenectady and Rensselaer counties reported their highest one-day totals since the pandemic began.
  • On Thursday, Albany county recorded 1,197 new cases since Nov. 1, more than 25 percent of its total number of positive cases.
•  Colleges and universities across this region have been forced to transition to fully remote learning, and many more schools have switched to temporary remote learning as cases among students and teachers continue to rise.
• As we enter the holiday season, food insecurity is increasing with local food pantries working overtime to serve more and more families as the pandemic continues.
• Calls to mental health emergency hotlines are on the rise, with even greater need for additional services for children struggling due to this crisis.
• I continue to hear from local governments, non-profits and small businesses all balancing on a razor’s edge awaiting federal relief to help our region weather this storm. 

Even as pharmaceutical companies announce promising vaccine breakthroughs, COVID-19 remains a clear and present danger here. If this current rate of spread continues, or rises, our communities will suffer even more. We each need to do our part to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just announced their recommendation that Americans not travel for the Thanksgiving holiday. If you absolutely must gather, please maintain social distancing, wear a protective mask when around others, and if weather permits, consider moving some or all of your gatherings outside. These steps could save the lives of the people you love and prevent a far greater spike in COVID-19 cases and deaths in the coming weeks.

For my part, it’s past time that Congress step up the scale of our response to meet this threat. We here in the House of Representatives have worked tirelessly to maintain the lifelines our nation has relied on to survive and hang on. We passed the Heroes Act on May 15th, more than six months ago. This week, my colleagues and I returned to Washington to continue fighting to deliver the relief that millions of Americans need right now.

We will not stop working to support our nation and its economy. I urge Senate Republicans to set aside politics and personal interests and work with us to put our nation first. Vote to pass the Heroes Act now, or put forth an alternative that is up to the challenge our nation now faces. An immediate and robust response is the only way to stave off the worst effects of this pandemic. 

The rising COVID-19 numbers look bleak, but we have reason to hope thanks to the dedicated scientists and researchers delivering promising results with vaccines. 

These developments are heartening, but we are still months out from an approved COVID-19 vaccine that is widely and readily available to the American people. Until that inevitable day, we must continue social distancing and wearing a mask around others, the proven and effective way of slowing the spread and protecting ourselves, our families and our hometown communities.  

If you’re tired, if you’ve lost a loved one or a job or a small business, I share your pain and frustration. We have fought hard to get Congress and this White House to move, and we’re not going to stop. With the holiday season coming up, we cannot lose focus. The end is in sight. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and we need to do all we can to sustain ourselves and each other until that light is finally upon. 

DID YOU KNOW?

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, my office and I have worked to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates and recommendations on any and all COVID-19 related topics. With that in mind, here are a few recent developments that may be of interest to you:

• Although walk-in service is not available, Social Security is offering in-person appointments in certain situations involving help with benefits or a Social Security number.
• An in-person appointment may be possible if you:
  
  • Are without food or shelter, including utilities or is without medical care or coverage and needs to apply for or reinstate benefits.
  • Currently receive benefits and have an urgent need for payment to meet expenses for food, shelter, or medical treatment, and cannot receive the payment electronically.
  • Are age 12 or older applying for your first SSN card.
  • Need to update or correct their SSN information (e.g., name, date of birth, or citizenship) to obtain income, resources, or medical care or coverage, or other services or benefits (e.g., filing a tax return, applying for housing, seeking an Economic Impact Payment).
•  Appointments may not be immediately available, depending on local health and safety conditions and staffing.
• You can find more information at the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) web page.