I know times are tough out there for Texans as we continue to deal with the outbreak of COVID-19 in our state. I’ve been talking a lot to local leaders in the area to see what they’re doing to combat the spread of coronavirus and what more I can do to help.
In the earliest days of the coronavirus outbreak, I joined San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, Joint Base San Antonio leadership, and representatives from U.S. Health and Human Services in San Antonio to assist with repatriating Americans under quarantine being transported to Lackland Air Force Base.
We made a lot of headway, and they had great ideas about how to keep San Antonians safe during these trying times.
The Border Trade Alliance and Borderplex Alliance invited me to join their outreach call, and I was able to hear about how COVID-19 has affected cross-border trade from agriculture to medical manufacturing. I also walked them through what good the CARES Act does for trade, small businesses, and Texas workers in the area.
I was also able to participate in a call with chambers of commerce in San Antonio, El Paso, Corpus Christi, and New Braunfels. They gave me a lot of helpful information on what more the federal government can do to help struggling small businesses, and I look forward to fighting for their needs in the next round of relief funding.
I’ve also participated in a conference call with the Texas Nurses Association, spoke with domestic violence service providers in the region, and met with Feeding Texas to discuss the urgent need for donations to Food Banks across the state.
Throughout the crisis, I’ve stayed in touch with both Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt as they manage the epicenter of the pandemic in Central Texas.
I joined an Austin Chamber of Commerce call with their members to hear about how COVID-19 has affected small businesses as well as walk them through what good the CARES Act will do for businesses, nonprofits, and workers in Central Texas.
I also got to chat with chambers of commerce in Waco, Bryan, College Station, Bastrop, Elgin, and Smithville to hear how COVID-19 is affecting businesses there. They gave me a lot of helpful information on what more the federal government can do to help them weather the storm, and I look forward to fighting for their needs in the next round of relief funding.
I’ve also participated in a conference call with the Texas Nurses Association, spoke with domestic violence service providers in the region, and met with Feeding Texas to discuss the urgent need for donations to Food Banks across the state.
I spoke with the Mayors of Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Frisco, and Plano as well as county judges and they filled me in on how they are working together to fight the spread of coronavirus.
North Texas health care workers are stepping up and helping Texans get through this all across the Metroplex, and I assured our local leaders that we have their back as the battle rages on.
I also hopped on a teletown hall with Texans in Tarrant County to talk about what they’re seeing on the ground, while also attending calls with chambers of commerce in Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Southlake, Keller, Colleyville, Plano, and Frisco – including the US-India Chamber of Commerce DFW – to hear what small businesses need from the federal government.
On all of these calls, I was able to walk them through what the CARES Act does for small businesses, nonprofits, and Texas workers – and they gave me some useful input on what we can focus on in the next relief bill.
I’ve also participated in a conference call with the Texas Nurses Association, spoke with domestic violence service providers in the region, and met with Feeding Texas to discuss the urgent need for donations to Food Banks across the state.
I’ve been in touch with both Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo throughout this difficult time. They both filled me in on how they are working together to fight the spread of coronavirus in their backyard.
I also spoke with the CEO of Texas Children’s Hospital and a nurse practitioner at MD Anderson to hear about their challenges and need for more personal protective equipment.
Health care workers in Southeast Texas are stepping up and helping Texans get through this, and I assured them I have their back as the battle rages on.
I hopped on several video teleconferences with chambers of commerce from Houston and Galveston to The Woodlands and Conroe, across Fort Bend County and down to Victoria.
I also had the opportunity to speak with the Greater Houston Port Bureau, Economic Alliance Houston Port Region, and the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership to talk strategy and relief, and the Indo-American Chamber of Houston and Greater Houston Partnership to see what small businesses in the area need from the federal government.
On all of these calls, I was able to walk them through what good the CARES Act does for small businesses, Texas workers, nonprofits, and our health care workers – and they all gave me useful input on what we can focus on in the next round of relief funding.
I’ve also participated in a conference call with the Texas Nurses Association, spoke with domestic violence service providers in the region, and met with Feeding Texas to discuss the urgent need for donations to Food Banks across the state.
As always, I’m trying to talk with as many folks as possible to figure out how we can best keep Texans healthy during this outbreak. I’ll be having many more of these conversations in the days to come, and I look forward to taking that information and using it to help bring relief to more Texans in need.
If you have questions visit the COVID-19 page on my website or contact me if you need assistance.
Stay safe out there. We’ll beat this together.
For Texas,
John