It is time to correct the record. For weeks, the mainstream media has lambasted President Trump and the Administration for what they claim to be a “lapse in accountability” during the COVID-19 pandemic. Let me be clear: their claims – really unmerited accusations – are farcical. Their blatant mischaracterizations continue to mislead the American people daily.
Sadly, this is yet another damaging pattern of behavior to which we have become all too accustomed. Rather than reporting on substantive progress being made in the fight against COVID-19, the mainstream media prejudices public discourse by relentlessly pursuing the newest outrage du jour. When true to form objectivity is sacrificed for a partisan-leaning agenda, the truth – specifically the cold hard facts – are concealed from view.
North Carolinians are experiencing unprecedented hardship in the wake of this pandemic. Thankfully, President Trump and the Administration have acted expeditiously to bring much needed relief to our great state. Here is a breakdown of the aid North Carolina has received to date:
PPE Provided To North Carolina
516,312 N95 masks
2,305,150 surgical masks
1,027,000 medial gowns
146,027 face shields
48,020,353 pairs of gloves
Pandemic Response Assistance
The Internal Revenue Service has issued over 2.7 M Economic Impact Payments (EIP) totaling more than $5 B to eligible individuals in North Carolina
HUD made over $78.2 M in COVID-19 funding available to North Carolina grantees via CARES Act authorizations
DOT allocated more than $320.3 M in Federal Transit Administration funds to help the North Carolina public transportation systems respond to the challenges of COVID-19
FEMA obligated $29.5 M for COVID-19 response efforts in North Carolina and will continue to obligate additional dollars per validated State requests
HHS has awarded over $35.3 M in CARES Act funding to 39 health centers across North Carolina to assist in combatting COVID-19
DOL has awarded over $30.2M in emergency administrative unemployment insurance grants and $6M in dislocated worker grants to the State of North Carolina
Department of ED suspended Federal student loan payments and waived interest during the Federal emergency, which could help up to 1.1 M direct loan borrowers in North Carolina
USDA approved North Carolina’s request to provide online purchasing of food to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households. North Carolina’s SNAP participation is over 1.2 million individuals, almost 600,000 households, and totals nearly $1.7 billion annually in Federal funding
Secretary Perdue joined President Trump in announcing the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to assist farmers, ranchers, and consumers in North Carolina and across the Nation in response to COVID-19. This $19 B relief program will provide $16 B in direct support based on actual losses for agricultural producers and $3 B in purchases of fresh produce, dairy, and meat, including producers in North Carolina
The Department of Justice allocated more than $23.3 million in funds to North Carolina through the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) Program to assist the State and local government response to COVID-19. This includes $15.3 million in funding to the state and $8 million to local governments
New Scam Update
Scammers are back at it again with a new email scheme to steal your hard-earned money. This time around, scammers are posing as members of a World Health Organization response team that is collecting donations to, “…support WHO’s work, including partners, to track and understand the spread of the virus”. But here is the more elaborate part of this scheme: these emails contain an embedded “Help Us Fight” button that you may commonly see on different nonprofit websites or online crowdfunding pages.
If you were to click on one of these links, your browser would be redirected to an external site where these attackers can steal your credit card information. No matter the website, email, or solicitation, you must do your research on the back end before engaging with these different mediums. Remember, when it comes to online transactions, you could be one click away from losing your personal information. Be diligent, do your research, and always inform others so that they can stay safe as well.
Thank You To Our Nation's Farmers
It is always great to hear from readers of the newsletter, especially if they point out something we should have said but did not. In a recent newsletter, we thanked many people who are doing so much on the front lines, but we did not mention our nation’s hardworking farmers. In that same spirit of thanks, I want to take a moment and send my profound gratitude to our nation’s hardworking farmers who continue to support our families amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
They continue to work – without delay – to ensure that the fruits, vegetables, and meat we find in our local supermarkets are safe and well prepared. They work in lockstep with our nation’s truck drivers so that families gathering at kitchen tables across our country are well nourished and fed. America is blessed to have these exceptional men and women provide for us day in and day out. Your hard work and sacrifices do not go unnoticed. Thank you all!
Recent Events
Speaking with the Gaston County Chamber of Commerce
Joining my colleagues on the Education and Labor Committee to discuss COVID-19 developments in our constituencies
Congratulating graduates from Appalachian State’s Department of Government and Justice Studies
