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Rev. Darius Pridgen tests positive for coronavirus

Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Buffalo Common Council President Reverend Darius Pridgen revealed in a Facebook post Sunday he has tested positive for coronavirus.

March 29, 2020

New York on PAUSE Through April 15

Albany, NY (WBEN) New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo gave his update on the COVID-19 pandemic Sunday afternoon noting that the state now had 59,000 confirmed cases of the virus.In Erie County, 414 cases of coronavirus are confirmed and there are seven death attributed to the virus.Our @ECDOH informs me there are 414 confirmed positives cases of #COVID19 in Erie County, 375 of which are active cases. 32 people have recovered, and unfortunately we have another death, bringing the county total to 7.The Town of Newstead also has its first confirmed case. pic.twitter.com/eJZ9k9eGeF— Mark Poloncarz (@markpoloncarz) March 29, 2020 Cuomo also announced that the NY PAUSE program will be extended until at least April 15th meaning that all non-essential workers must stay home and work from home if possible. Cuomo said that the program would be re-evaluated every two weeks, "I think it's not even questionable today, but that we're going to need two more weeks of non-essential workers."The Governor also noted that 76,000 volunteers have stepped up to help in the effort to combat the virus and he also praised the work of first responders, "These public people, I don't even have the words to express my admiration for them. FDR always had words. Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear. To me that says it all today. Everyone is afraid. Everyone is afraid. You think these police officers are not afraid to leave their house? You think these nurses are not afraid to go into the hospital? They're afraid. But, something is more important than their fear, which is their passion, their commitment, for public service, and helping others."Meanwhile, new data is showing which parts of the city are being hit the hardest by disease and that nearly a quarter of the people who’ve died of coronavirus in the state were nursing home residents.Here are the latest coronavirus developments in New York:POOR NEIGHBORHOODS HIT HARDCoronavirus is overwhelming some of New York City’s poorest neighborhoods, according to new data released by the city.Queens accounts for 32% of the city’s more than 30,000 confirmed cases as of Saturday — more than any other borough.Neighborhoods such as Jackson Heights, Elmhurst and Corona, which are generally poor, densely packed and have large non-English speaking populations, have been among the hardest hit, according to a city map showing percent ranges of people testing positive for the disease, also known as COVID-19. In those areas, between 69% and 86% of the tests done have come back positive.A hospital in Elmhurst has been overrun with coronavirus cases. One day last week, 13 hospital patients with the virus died.Statistics on coronavirus cases do not reflect everyone who may have the virus, because many people have been told to manage their illness at home and are not getting tested.SOME ENCOURAGING NUMBERSThe number of patients being discharged at the state's hospitals after they've been treated for coronavirus has increased daily to a high of 845 on Saturday, Cuomo said. In all, more than 3,500 people have been discharged.As of Sunday, more than 8,500 people remain hospitalized across the state because of the disease, including more than 2,000 in intensive care. In New York City, about 20% of coronavirus cases have led to hospitalizations.Those totals are continuing to spike, but Cuomo said they're not multiplying nearly as quickly as they were last week. From March 16-19, the number of hospitalizations in the state doubled every two days. Now it's taking about six days for the number to double.TRAVEL ADVISORY CONCERNSOn Saturday, after saying he was weighing the idea of a mandatory quarantine for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, President Donald Trump tweeted that instead he’d issue advisory urging people in those states to avoid any nonessential travel for two weeks.New York City Mayor Bill de De Blasio said he worried about the advisory’s impact on families with members in New York and other places who were looking to reunite.“We’ve got to respect, in the middle of a crisis, families have a right to be together,” de Blasio said.All 50 U.S. states have reported some cases of the virus that causes COVID-19, but New York state has the most, with over 52,000 positive tests for the illness and more than 700 deaths. About 7,300 people were in New York hospitals Saturday, including about 1,800 in intensive care. DWINDLING SUPPLIES, MANPOWERMayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday reiterated his fears that without reinforcements the city will run out of masks, gowns and other hospital supplies in a week and ventilators sooner.With the expected peak of cases in the city still two to three weeks away, de Blasio told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that the city also needs new waves of doctors, nurses and other medical personnel.“We need to get them relief,” de Blasio said. “They can't keep up at this pace for weeks and weeks and weeks ahead and expect to save lives the way we need them to."Cuomo said Sunday that more than 76,000 doctors, nurses and other health professionals, including many who've recently retired from the field, have volunteered to help in the coronavirus fight.NURSING HOME DEATHSThrough Friday, 24% of coronavirus deaths in New York state were among nursing home residents, according to the state Department of Health figures released to The Associated Press.The state said there were more than 740 confirmed COVID-19 positive cases in licensed nursing homes at 129 of the state's 613 nursing homes, which serve more than 100,000 residents.As of Friday, 122 nursing home residents in the state have died of the disease. In less than two weeks, the virus has claimed seven lives at one Long Island retirement community, with the latest death coming Saturday.

March 29, 2020

Trump considering quarantine for NY, NJ and Connecticut

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — President Donald Trump backed away from calling for a quarantine for coronavirus hotspots in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, instead directing Saturday night that a “strong Travel Advisory” be issued to stem the spread of the outbreak. Vice President Mike Pence tweeted that the CDC was urging residents of the three states “to refrain from non-essential travel for the next 14 days.” The notion of a quarantine had been advocated by governors, including Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who sought to halt travelers from the heavily affected areas to their states. But it drew swift criticism from the leaders of the states in question, who warned it would spark panic in a populace already suffering under the virus. Trump announced he reached the decision after consulting with the White House task force leading the federal response and the governors of the three states. He said he had directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government.” He added: “A quarantine will not be necessary.” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has criticized the federal government’s response as his state became the country's virus epicenter, said roping off states would amount to “a federal declaration of war.” Cuomo said the prospect of a quarantine didn't come up when he spoke with Trump earlier Saturday, adding that he believed it would be illegal, economically catastrophic, “preposterous” and shortsighted when other parts of the U.S. are seeing cases rise, too. “If you start walling off areas all across the country, it would be totally bizarre, counterproductive, anti-American, anti-social,” Cuomo told CNN. He added that locking down the nation’s financial capital would shock the stock market and “paralyze the economy” at a time when Trump has indicated he’s itching to get the economy back on track. Trump made his initial remarks while on a trip to Norfolk, Virginia, to see off a U.S. Navy hospital ship heading to New York City to help with the pandemic. At the event, he spoke to a sparse crowd at the naval base and cautioned Americans to take virus protections, even though he himself, at 73, is in a high-risk category and among those who have been advised to refrain from all non-essential travel. The federal government is empowered to take measures to prevent the spread of communicable diseases between states, but it's not clear that means Trump can ban people from leaving their state. It has never been tested in the modern era — and in rare cases when any quarantine was challenged, the courts generally sided with public health officials. Courts have ruled consistently for years that the authority to order quarantines inside states rests almost entirely with the states, under provisions in the Constitution ceding power not explicitly delegated to the federal government to states. The federal government, though, would have power under constitutional clauses regulating commerce to quarantine international travelers or those traveling state to state who might be carriers of deadly diseases. Still, “it is entirely unprecedented that governors or the president would prevent people from traveling from one state to another during an infectious disease outbreak," said Lawrence Gostin, a Georgetown University law professor and public health specialist who questioned Trump's ability to order a quarantine on states. But as Trump traveled to Norfolk, he tweeted: “I am giving consideration to a QUARANTINE of developing “hot spots”, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. A decision will be made, one way or another, shortly.” “A lot of the states that are infected but don’t have a big problem, they’ve asked me if I’ll look at it, so we’re going to look at it,” Trump said. When asked about legal authority for quarantine, the incoming White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, said officials are “evaluating all the options right now.” Administration officials were discussing less-stringent measures as well. One idea under consideration would be to tell residents of the hard-hit areas to isolate themselves and not travel for two weeks, just as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has instructed anyone who recently left New York to self-quarantine for 14 days, according to one person familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing deliberations. The measure wouldn't necessarily come with any legal force or penalty, just the hope that people would comply in an effort to try to contain the virus spread. The governors of Florida, Maryland, South Carolina and Texas already have ordered people arriving from the New York area to self-quarantine for at least 14 days upon arrival. In a more dramatic step, Rhode Island police have begun pulling over drivers with New York plates so that the National Guard can collect contact information and inform them of a mandatory, 14-day quarantine. Trump said the idea of isolating many in the trio of Democratic strongholds in the Northeast was pushed by DeSantis, one of the president's most outspoken supporters. It came a day after Trump made clear he wanted governors to be grateful when asking for federal support for the pandemic. Trump said people “go to Florida and a lot of people don’t want that. So we’ll see what happens." He later clarified it would not affect truckers or people transiting through, and would not affect trade. Florida is a perennial swing state, and one Trump must win come November — plus he recently moved his residence from New York to Florida. It also has a population of 21 million with a large percentage of old people, who are particularly vulnerable to the virus. DeSantis confirmed he had spoken with the president about the possibility of a quarantine for the New York City area. Speaking Saturday to reporters, DeSantis said Florida will soon set up a checkpoint along Interstate 95 to screen travelers from that area, similar to one already in place along Interstate 10 to screen people from Louisiana. Many airports in Florida also are screening travelers from certain areas, requiring them to self-isolate for 14 days. The U.S. leads the world in reported cases with more than 121,000. There were roughly 2,000 deaths recorded by Saturday night, according to John Hopkins University. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy tweeted Saturday night that he's been in communication with Trump and Pence and that their guidance “does not change the rules that have been established and in place for over a week now" in New Jersey. He said the frontline response effort, like health care and supermarket workers, are still needed. “I encourage all New Jerseyans to continue practicing aggressive social distancing and take personal responsibility to help us get through this public health emergency.” Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, also a Democrat, said at a news conference that Trump’s words about a quarantine have created a “certain amount of confusion" and that "confusion can lead to panic.” He said such a quarantine order would be “impossible to enforce given the spider web of roads" and that he hoped the White House would clarify what it wants. After speaking in Norfolk, Trump watched as the USS Comfort slowly made its way out of port. The 1,000-bed hospital ship had been undergoing planned maintenance, but was rushed back into service to aid the city. It is scheduled to arrive Monday at a Manhattan pier days after its sister ship, the USNS Mercy, arrived in Los Angeles to perform a similar duty on the West Coast. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death. The vast majority of people recover. ___ Long reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz in New York City, Matt Perrone, Jill Colvin and Michael Balsamo in Washington, Michael Tarm in Chicago, Ben Finley in Norfolk, Virginia, Curt Anderson in Miami and Andrew Welsh-Huggins in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.

March 28, 2020

CDC issues "strong travel advisory" for New York

Washington DC (WBEN) - President Donald Trump backed away from calling for a quarantine for coronavirus hotspots in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, instead directing Saturday night that a “strong Travel Advisory” be issued to stem the spread of the outbreak.On the recommendation of the White House CoronaVirus Task Force, and upon consultation with the Governor’s of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I have asked the @CDCgov to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the....— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020 The notion of a quarantine had been advocated by governors, including Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who sought to halt travelers from the heavily affected areas to their states. But it drew swift criticism from the leaders of the states in question, who warned it would spark panic in a populace already suffering under the virus.Trump announced he reached the decision after consulting with the White House task force leading the federal response and the governors of the three states. He said he had directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government.”He added: “A quarantine will not be necessary.”Domestic Travel Advisory: Due to extensive community transmission of #COVID19 in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, CDC urges residents to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately. Read more: https://t.co/RAaIpQn6cj pic.twitter.com/a0eIYGzOa1— CDC (@CDCgov) March 29, 2020 Late Saturday the CDC issued this advisory:"Due to extensive community transmission of COVID -19 in the area, CDC urges residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately. This Domestic Travel Advisory does not apply to employees of critical infrastructure industries, including but not limited to trucking, public health professionals, financial services, and food supply. These employees of critical infrastructure, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security (https://www.cisa.gov/publication/guidance-essential-critical-infrastruct... icon), have a special responsibility to maintain normal work schedules. The Governors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will have full discretion to implement this Domestic Travel Advisory."New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has criticized the federal government’s response as his state became the country’s virus epicenter, said roping off states would amount to “a federal declaration of war.” Cuomo said the prospect of a quarantine didn’t come up when he spoke with Trump earlier Saturday, adding that he believed it would be illegal, economically catastrophic, “preposterous” and shortsighted when other parts of the U.S. are seeing cases rise, too.“If you start walling off areas all across the country, it would be totally bizarre, counterproductive, anti-American, anti-social,” Cuomo told CNN. He added that locking down the nation’s financial capital would shock the stock market and “paralyze the economy” at a time when Trump has indicated he’s itching to get the economy back on track.Trump made his remarks while on a trip to Norfolk, Virginia, to see off a U.S. Navy hospital ship heading to New York City to help with the pandemic. At the event, he spoke to a sparse crowd at the naval base and cautioned Americans to take virus protections, even though he himself, at 73, is in a high-risk category and among those who have been advised to refrain from all non-essential travel.The federal government is empowered to take measures to prevent the spread of communicable diseases between states, but it’s not clear that means Trump can ban people from leaving their state. It has never been tested in the modern era — and in rare cases when any quarantine was challenged, the courts generally sided with public health officials.Courts have ruled consistently for years that the authority to order quarantines inside states rests almost entirely with the states, under provisions in the Constitution ceding power not explicitly delegated to the federal government to states. The federal government, though, would have power under constitutional clauses regulating commerce to quarantine international travelers or those traveling state to state who might be carriers of deadly diseases.

March 28, 2020

Mass and Sunday Services On-Demand

With hundreds of thousands of Catholics across WNY still unable to attend Mass, Msgr. David LiPuma and OLV National Shrine & Basilica is pleased to present a weekly taped Mass for March 29, 2020 – The Fifth Sunday in Lent. Othe churches offering online celebrations are below as well. Video of OLV National Shrine & Basilica Taped Mass - March 29, 2020 – The Fifth Sunday in Lent Video of Sunday Mass March 29, 2020 Video of Traditional Worship - March 29, 2020

March 28, 2020

NY delays presidential primary; nurses plead for masks

NEW YORK (AP/WBEN) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo postponed New York's presidential primary from April to June to keep people from gathering amid of the state's coronavirus outbreak. The state's death toll from the virus rose above 700."I don't think it's wise to be bringing a lot of people to one lcoation to vote. A lot of people touching one doorknob, a lot of people touching one pen," says Cuomo. "We are going to delay (the presidential primary) and link it to an election that was previously scheduled to June 23rd."June 23rd is already the scheduled date for legislative and congressional primaries. March 28th Cuomo Coronavirus Briefing With cases expected to mushroom toward a mid-to-late-April peak, nurses made anguished pleas Saturday for more protective equipment and rebuffed officials' claims that supplies are adequate. Cuomo took a manual-pump air mask in hand to show what might lie in store if needed ventilators don't arrive.New York joins over a dozen states that have delayed some elections. A smaller group including Ohio, Georgia, Louisiana, Connecticut, Maryland, Rhode Island, Indiana and Kentucky have also postponed their presidential primaries.The governor’s decision came as election commissioners across New York warned they were “risking” their health and safety to meet impending deadlines for testing machines and preparing ballots ahead of the April 28 date.

March 28, 2020

Two Bars Shut Down for Violating NY PAUSE Order

Buffalo, NY (WBEN) Two Erie County bars have been ordered shut down after county officials say they violated the NY on Pause executive order.With support from the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, sanitarians served Commissioner Close Orders to A.J.’s Clarence Hollow at 10250 Main Street in Clarence and Swannie House at 170 Ohio Street in Buffalo.The Division of Environmental Health will be reporting these actions to the NYS Liquor Authority.“Bar and restaurant owners have to take this new reality seriously,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “These regulations are in place for a deadly serious reason, and bars and restaurants that are open in violation of the law are putting their customers and their employees at risk. This is unacceptable and we will shut you down.” Erie County Coronavirus Update for March 28th “We have seen generally good compliance from Erie County restaurants and bars on the PAUSE orders, with restaurants and their patrons understanding the need to avoid congregating in a closed space, and to wait in their cars or outside for their take-out purchases,” said Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein. “Sanitarians are still investigating food safety complaints and violations of the PAUSE order, and they are continuing their inspections of food facilities.”The number of coronavirus cases in Erie County has increased to 354.

March 28, 2020

Shop sells ‘hundreds’ of doughnuts starring Dr. Fauci’s face

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — (WBEN/AP) - A Rochester doughnut shop is featuring the likeness of the doctor leading the country’s battle with coronavirus on its sweet treats.Donuts Delite began selling hundreds of doughnuts with Dr. Anthony Fauci’s face, surrounded by white frosting and topped off with patriotic sprinkles.The exclusive treats have been selling “like crazy” since the store put them on display Monday, according to Nick Semeraro, franchisee of the café.The shop’s decision was inspired by the 79-year-old doctor’s straightforward communication style and calm demeanor while he’s been advising millions of Americans amid a pandemic.The infectious disease expert has served as an adviser to every president since Ronald Reagan and President Donald Trump has coined him as a star on his administration’s coronavirus task force.Therefore, putting Fauci’s face smack down in the middle of a doughnut felt like an obvious choice for Semeraro.“We’re watching the news like everyone else,” Semeraro told the Democrat & Chronicle on Thursday. “He’s on TV giving us the facts; you’ve got to respect that. We’re bipartisan, we stay neutral, but you’ve got to give credit where credit’s due.”In addition, the shop hopes this new addition to their menu brings “light to a humbling experience,” Semeraro said, and some cheer to customers, “even if it’s just while you’re wolfing down that doughnut.”

March 28, 2020

House passes $2.2T rescue package, rushes it to Trump

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed an unprecedented $2.2 trillion economic rescue package into law after swift and near-unanimous action by Congress to support businesses, rush resources to overburdened health care providers and help struggling families during the deepening coronavirus epidemic. Acting with unity and resolve unseen since the 9/11 attacks, Washington moved urgently to stem an economic free fall caused by widespread restrictions meant to slow the spread of the virus that have shuttered schools, closed businesses and brought American life in many places to a virtual standstill. “This will deliver urgently needed relief," Trump said as he signed the bill Friday in the Oval Office, flanked only by Republican lawmakers. He thanked members of both parties for putting Americans “first." Earlier Friday, the House gave near-unanimous approval by voice vote after an impassioned session conducted along the social distancing guidelines imposed by the crisis. Many lawmakers sped to Washington to participate — their numbers swollen after a maverick Republican signaled he'd try to force a roll call vote — though dozens of others remained safely in their home districts. The Senate passed the bill unanimously late Wednesday. “Today we've all acknowledged our nation faces an economic and health emergency of historic proportions,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. She said Americans deserve a full-on government response “to address these threats to their lives and their livelihood and they need it now.” The $2.2 trillion legislation will speed government payments of $1,200 to most Americans and increase jobless benefits for millions of people thrown out of work. Businesses big and small will get loans, grants and tax breaks. It will send unprecedented billions to states and local governments, and the nation's all but overwhelmed health care system. “This is not a time for cynicism or invective or second-guessing," said GOP Whip Liz Cheney of Wyoming. “This is a time to remember that we are citizens of the greatest nation on Earth, that we have overcome every challenge we have faced, and we will overcome this one.” Despite reservations, arch-conservatives joined with progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., to back the bill, which moved quickly through a Congress that’s been battered by partisanship and is itself not immune to the suffering the virus has caused. Reps. Joe Cunningham, D-S.C., and Mike Kelly, R-Pa., announced Friday that they'd tested positive, bringing the number of infected lawmakers to five. Tea party Republicans said government orders to shutter businesses merited actions that conflict with their small-government ideology. Liberals accepted generous corporate rescues that accompany larger unemployment benefits, deferrals of student loans, and an enormous surge of funding for health care and other agencies responding to the crisis. “I’m going to have to vote for something that has things in it that break my heart,” said conservative Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz. The bipartisan amity went only so far. Top congressional Democrats were not invited to the White House signing ceremony, said Democratic aides speaking on condition of anonymity to describe the situation. And in a statement released after the signing, Trump objected to efforts to establish congressional oversight of spending in the bill and said his administration “will continue the practice of treating provisions like these as advisory and non-binding.” Many lawmakers summoned the bipartisan spirit of 9/11 and efforts to fight terrorism. Others praised the roles low-income workers play in keeping the country going and the heroism of health care workers. Some, like Iowa Democrat Abby Finkenauer, who had just learned of two additional coronavirus-related deaths in her district, came close to tears. Others couldn’t restrain their partisan impulses. Republicans chided Democratic leaders for delays and provisions they see as extraneous, such as funding for public broadcasting and the arts; Democrats said too many elements are a bailout for corporations that may not need it. Still, in a chamber increasingly populated by lawmakers whose chief skill often seems to be partisan attacks, Friday’s debate was a noteworthy break. “We have no time to dither," said Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va. "We have no time to engage in ideological or petty partisan fights. Our country needs us as one.” The run-up to the vote contained an element of drama because libertarian conservative Thomas Massie, R-Ky., announced plans to seek a roll call vote. Leaders of both parties united to prevent that because it would have forced lawmakers back to the Capitol or blemished their voting records if they stayed home. Instead, they made sure enough lawmakers would attend Friday's session to block Massie's move under the rules, and lawmakers took the unprecedented step of sitting in the visitors galleries to establish the necessary quorum. The House promptly adjourned for a weeks-long recess but will return later in the spring to consider further legislation. “This bill is not only a rescue package, it’s a commitment — a commitment that your government, and the people whom you elected to serve you, will do everything we can to limit the harm and hardship you face, both now and in the foreseeable future,” said Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. The massive CARES Act started as a draft plan among Republicans controlling the Senate who were seeking a greater voice in the coronavirus response efforts -- especially after Pelosi was a dominant force in earlier legislation imposing a sick leave mandate on businesses. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., welcomed Democratic participation a week ago, and signed off on a major expansion of unemployment insurance, but his efforts to freeze out Pelosi and force a quick agreement were met with Democratic demands for large infusions of aid to states and hospitals, as well as an assortment of smaller items. McConnell and top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York wrestled for days, along with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and other administration officials. Negotiations finally produced a deal early Wednesday morning, and the Senate passed the measure by a 96-0 vote. The legislation dwarfs prior Washington responses to crises like 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, and natural disasters. Key elements are untested, such as grants to small businesses to keep workers on payroll and complex lending programs to larger businesses. Rebate payments will go to people who have retained their jobs. Agencies like the Small Business Administration and state unemployment systems will be severely taxed, and conservatives fear that a new, generous unemployment benefit will dissuade jobless people from returning to the workforce. The bill amounts to a bridge loan for much of the economy and carries a price tag that equals half the size of the entire $4 trillion-plus annual federal budget. The legislation also establishes a $454 billion program for guaranteed, subsidized loans to larger industries in hopes of leveraging up to $4.5 trillion in lending to distressed businesses, states, and municipalities. There is also $150 billion devoted to the health care system, including $100 billion for grants to hospitals and other health care providers buckling under the strain of COVID-19 caseloads. It also seeks to strengthen the safety net for the poor and homeless. Schools and students would get relief, small business loans payments would be deferred. Evictions from public housing would be put on pause. Republicans successfully pressed for an employee retention tax credit designed to help companies keep workers on payroll. Companies would also be able to defer payment of the 6.2% Social Security payroll tax. A huge tax break for interest costs and operating losses limited by the 2017 tax overhaul was restored at a $200 billion cost in a boon for the real estate sector. Most people who contract the new coronavirus have mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death. — AP writers Zeke Miller, Mary Clare Jalonick and Matthew Daly contributed.

March 28, 2020

Congress locks Trump oversight into $2.2 trillion package

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump declared that "I'll be the oversight" as lawmakers were in the final days of drafting what became a $2.2 trillion rescue plan for American businesses. In the end, Congress ensured that won’t be the case. The legislation, designed in part to help businesses and corporations hammered by closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, creates multiple layers of accountability for the billions of dollars in loans, grants and direct cash that will soon flow from the federal government. The House passed the bill by voice vote on Friday and Trump immediately signed it. The new oversight system will test the relationship between the White House and Congress, which frayed after Democrats won the House and deteriorated severely during Trump's impeachment as officials flouted requests for witnesses and documents. Trump immediately threw the oversight provisions into question, writing in a signing statement Friday night that the new law contains “several provisions that raise constitutional concerns.'' Trump said a new inspector general intended to monitor spending under the law would not be bound by requirements to report to the Congress ”without delay." His administration “will continue the practice of treating provisions like these as advisory and non-binding.," Trump said. Trump’s assertion of responsibility for the coronavirus funds came Monday evening as his Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, was on Capitol Hill crafting the package in late-night meetings with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., had each introduced their own proposals, and Democrats said the Republican bill wasn’t strong enough, arguing that it would create a “slush fund” for corporations. In the end, the bipartisan final package incorporated much of what Democrats wanted, creating a trio of watchdogs, plus other checks, to try to ensure the money isn’t misused. It establishes an oversight board made up of inspectors general, called the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, stands up a separate dedicated inspector general position at the Treasury Department and creates a new committee of experts that reports to Congress. Other accountability measures include more money for watchdogs in multiple federal agencies and requirements that the administration file detailed reports that analyze the flow of cash as it happens. “Whenever you are appropriating over $2 trillion it’s important to ensure the money is spent the way it’s intended,” said Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, the top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Peters helped negotiate the oversight provisions with Schumer and the GOP chairman of the panel, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson. “This needs to be outside of politics, that’s the only way it has any credibility,” Peters said. Both Peters and House Oversight and Reform Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., suggested lawmakers could consider additional oversight provisions when Congress takes up more legislation to deal with the pandemic. Maloney praised the economic relief bill, but said Democrats “think it could go even further to protect American taxpayers, and we are continuing to examine additional options." Watchdog groups that track government spending and oversight said the bill wasn't perfect, but provides essential resources. Sean Moulton, a senior policy analyst at Project On Government Oversight, said his group is encouraged that there is “more than one lens of accountability” for the businesses that will be receiving the money. “We’re pleased that they aren’t putting all of their oversight eggs in one basket,” Moulton said. Lisa Gilbert, vice president of legislative affairs for the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, said she believed that Trump’s declaration that he could personally oversee the process likely ensured that stronger provisions were included. “It showed his hand,’’ Gilbert said. The bedrock of the new oversight is the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, which will be made up of independent inspectors general. Modeled after a similar board created to monitor the 2008 Troubled Asset Relief Program that rescued banks, the panel will have the ability to obtain documents, coordinate audits and identify waste and abuse. The board will report what they find on a central website. Separately, Trump will appoint a special inspector general inside the Treasury Department who will be able to inspect records and review how the money is doled out. That position will be confirmed by the Senate — a process that could take weeks if the chamber stays out until April 20, when senators are currently scheduled to return. Democrats also secured the creation of a congressional oversight commission that will oversee the Treasury Department. Experts on the panel will be appointed by House and Senate leaders. Maloney said “the ideal makeup” of the panel would be a diverse set of experts “to complement the other oversight bodies established under the bill.” The legislation also includes a provision ensuring that bailout funds are not given to companies where a federal official, including the president, has at least a 20% interest. Language directed at airlines would block stock buy-backs and limit executive compensation. Oversight groups fret that the legislation doesn’t give the inspector generals panel subpoena power. They also note that Trump will be the one to appoint Treasury's inspector general, a potential wild card. “It’s all very personality driven,” said Scott Ellis of the group Taxpayers for Common Sense. “(Inspectors general) can be very effective and not so effective.” Negotiations on the bill churned until the end, with Democrats complaining in the hours before the vote that bipartisan language requiring the government to publish weekly lists of companies and entities that gain financing through the bailout funds was left out. Without this language, this information could have been kept secret from the public, the Democrats argued. The language ended up in the final version. And though the end product was bipartisan — the Senate vote was 96-0 — the two parties had sharp disagreement. Republican Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said during Senate debate that Democrats "wanted to make sure there was great transparency because they didn’t trust the Trump administration. So they built in an inspector general and additional people to watch the Treasury through the process.'' Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, senior Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, said Democrats pushed for the provisions to put workers first. Lawmakers need to “make sure money actually ends up in the pockets of workers, not CEOs,’’ Brown said.

March 27, 2020