Friends, 

I was honored to be asked to join the bipartisan Task Force formed by President Trump to restart the economy. I look forward to serving with Senator Enzi, Senator Barrasso, and a number of my colleagues in Congress.

Expanded testing, access to personal protective equipment, and accelerated research and development of therapeutics and vaccines will be key elements in getting America working again. I am confident we will defeat the virus and restore our economy if we work together, across party lines, and I am pleased this is a bipartisan task force. Americans have overcome every challenge we have faced, and we will overcome this one.

How To Access Economic Impact Payments:

The IRS formally launched the “Get My Payment” web portal yesterday with features to let taxpayers check on their Economic Impact Payment date and update direct deposit information.

The portal can be accessed here: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment, and there are FAQ’s that are answered on the site as well. 

Paycheck Protection Program Update:

The Paycheck Protection Program passed in the CARES Act is helping save jobs and support American small businesses during the economic crisis created by the spread of the coronavirus. According to the Small Business Administration, as of this morning:

  • More than 1,650,000 loans have been approved for small businesses
  • Nearly 5,000 lenders have participated

As of this morning, the Paycheck Protection Program has run out of money. Small businesses that need relief are now unable to apply for these loans, and new lenders cannot sign up to distribute loans either. 

Congressional Republicans have seen this coming and tried for the last week to authorize more funding for this program, but have been blocked by Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer. 

Speaker Pelosi previously said that she hadn’t seen data explaining why the PPP needed more money – even though funding is now exhausted – and in an interview this week she applauded Senate Democrats for blocking efforts to add more resources to the program which in turn would help small businesses and workers who need this aid.

This program has been lifeline for Americans across the country, allowing them to stay afloat during this unprecedented crisis. Already, there are over two dozen examples on this page that show how small businesses have obtained relief and jobs have been saved because of the PPP: https://www.gop.gov/PPPworks/

There is no excuse for Speaker Pelosi blocking money for this program, or making the passage of additional funding for the PPP contingent on other things. This program needs more funding now. Her obstruction is shameful, and she has willingly created a situation that will cause unnecessary pain for American small businesses and families. 

Over the past week, House Republicans have highlighted the benefits of this program and explained how the Democrats’ obstruction to more funding for it will cause avoidable pain for small businesses. The New York Post published an editorial today that calls Democrats’ obstruction to more money for the PPP is, “beyond tragic,” and notes that partisanship should, “take a back seat during this kind of crisis.”:

  • The New York Post: “Democrats need to stop holding small-business help hostage”

For more information about businesses receiving assistance through the PPP, go to this page and continue to follow it for frequent updates: gop.gov/PPPworks

Wyoming small business owners, ranchers, farmers, non-profits, and religious organizations can find additional background about PPP loans here: 

Medical Supplies:

Yesterday, the FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the use of Stryker Instrument’s N95 respirator decontamination cycle that will allow for the safe re-use of N95 masks for medical professionals.

According to FEMA, Project Airbridge has completed 45 flights with an additional 57 scheduled for a total of approximately 102 flights. Through this project, numerous supplies have been delivered to the United States, including 400,000 N95 masks, 400 million gloves, 25 million surgical masks, 5.5 million surgical gowns, 81,000 thermometers, and 24,000 face shields.

Through all channels, President Trump announced yesterday that the federal government had delivered 39.4 million N95 masks, 431 million gloves, 57 million surgical masks, and 10.2 million gowns.

Coronavirus Testing Update: 

More than 3.3 million tests for COVID-19 have been conducted in the United States. The President said at yesterday’s White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing that the FDA had authorized 48 separate coronavirus tests, and that the Administration is working with 300 companies and labs to widen capacity further.

Yesterday, the FDA authorized two additional emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for coronavirus antibody tests, and a total of three antibody tests have now been given this emergency approval by the Administration. 

Also, 6,000 FEMA-procured test kits were scheduled to arrive in the United States yesterday from manufacturers in South Korea. Each kit contains 100 tests for a total of 600,000 tests.

Therapeutics And Vaccines:

BARDA and Sanofi Pasteur announced yesterday that they are expanding their collaboration to develop a vaccine. The previously announced research for a COVID-19 vaccine using a recombinant DNA platform will accelerate into non-clinical studies and a Phase 1 clinical trial to demonstrate initial safety and efficacy of the vaccine candidate. Sanofi also announced that they would be joining forces with GSK to develop an adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine that could enter clinical trials later this year and be ready by the second half of next year. 

Since April 6, two shipments of hydroxychloroquine have departed the Strategic National Stockpile.  The first shipment of nine million tablets went to New York City, Chicago, New Orleans, and Detroit.  The second shipment of 10.1 million tablets is intended for St. Louis, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Milwaukee, Miami, Houston, Indianapolis, and Baton Rouge.

Please follow this newsletter and the coronavirus page on my website for continued updates about COVID-19 and how government is responding to protect both the country’s health and our economic security. 

Congresswoman Liz Cheney