2020 has gotten off to a difficult start. From impeachment proceedings to the coronavirus, I try to stay focused on tasks and issues I can impact in a positive way. Between meeting with constituents back home and in D.C., and passing legislation here in our nation’s capital, I am working to get more done before I leave Congress at the end of 2020.
As a member on the Energy and Commerce Committee, I have been receiving weekly updates on the coronavirus (COVID-19). While this is a rapidly changing and very serious public health threat, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the immediate health risk to the general American public from the coronavirus is considered low at this time. Our health officials are collaboratively working together to assure this crisis does not escalate in the United States while providing assistance to foreign health officials to end the outbreak in all affected countries, especially China who has 75,000 current confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The CDC has been leading efforts to prevent an epidemic in the U.S. by screening travelers at airports who are returning from China and following up with further monitoring for two weeks by local public health officials. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is working with American pharmaceutical companies to develop a vaccine and therapeutic drugs. Biodefense has been a top priority of mine for years. I co-authored the reauthorization of the Pandemic & All Hazards Preparedness & Advancing Innovation Act (PAHPA), which was signed into law in June 2019. This legislation provides a rapid response fund for public health emergencies such as this. It’s meant to improve our immediate essential responses to contain the spread of infection, treat infected individuals, and launch research for necessary vaccines/diagnostics. Thank you to our medical workers who are identifying and combatting infectious diseases. Global travelers should be especially aware of the coronavirus, steer clear of heavily impacted areas and exercise some of the same kinds of preventative measures used to avoid influenza and other illnesses, such as hand washing. Keep in mind, vastly more Americans have gotten sick and died from influenza in recent months than the coronavirus, which belongs to the same family of viruses as SARS and MERS. The CDC strongly recommends the flu shot to keep you and your family safe. It’s never too late to get one!
Every year, I bring a constituent guest with me to the State of the Union Address. Every guest exemplifies hope, strength, and courage and this year’s guests were no exception. Mike Corr, who was diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia seventeen years ago, was joined by his wife, Lee. Together, they embody these qualities and serve as strong, positive role models for all who are suffering with difficult diseases.
In 2010, Mike was finally able to gain hope after joining clinical trials at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Because of our government’s increased investments in biomedical research at the NIH, Mike is able to continue being a loving son, husband, father, and managing director for one of the world leaders in real estate services at JLL. In my role as a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I worked to pass the 21st Century Cures Act into law. This law provided an additional $8.75 billion to the National Institutes of Health to help individuals like Mike be involved in trials searching for cures for diseases like leukemia. I am pleased to report that four months ago, Mike was declared leukemia-free! I thank him for his bravery in participating in difficult, painful clinical trials that will help save others suffering from hairy cell leukemia.
My full remarks on the House Floor, click here.
The Keeping Girls in School Act, for which I served as the Republican lead in the House, ensures that the U.S. foreign aid funding to other countries includes a strategy to close the gender gap for adolescent girls and keep them in school at the secondary level. If implemented, this legislation could add $92 billion to the economies of low and middle-income nations, cut child deaths by 50%, reduce child marriage by 66%, and increase girls’ future wages by up to 20% for every year enrolled. I am proud this bipartisan legislation works to support the economic and educational empowerment of girls around the world while breaking down the barriers that keep girls out of the classroom. When girls stay in school their communities are healthier, safer, and more prosperous.
My full remarks about the Smithsonian Women’s History Museum Act on the House Floor, click here.
The Smithsonian Women’s History Museum Act passed the full House on February 11, 2020. This bipartisan legislation would create a world-class museum dedicated to telling the stories of women’s contributions throughout American history. I led the bill to ensure future generations understand the impact that women have had in this country. It is time we celebrate our achievements, including the 116th Congress when a record-breaking number of women were elected to the House and hopefully even more will be in the next Congress!
I was honored to receive the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America’s (CADCA) Congressional Leadership Award. CADCA emphasizes the power of community coalitions to prevent substance misuse through collaborative community efforts. They represent over 5,000 community coalitions that involve individuals from key sectors including schools, law enforcement, youth, parents, healthcare, media and others. It is individuals like those of CADCA who influence policymakers in developing critical legislation to end the opioid epidemic. Members of the Energy and Commerce Committee, of which I am a member, are renewing their focus on opioid legislation.
I’ve spent the past district work period this year meeting with new and incumbent mayors across Indiana’s Fifth District to discuss their visions to improve their communities. We discussed expanding broadband access in our rural communities, federal grants to improve infrastructure, and also promoting job and economic development for our communities, among many other topics. Thank you to the mayors for their hard work and dedication to the cities they lead! I look forward to meeting with more #IN05 mayors in the next few weeks.
The 2020 Census will mark the 24th time that the country has counted its population since 1790.
As a partner of the 2020 Census, my staff and I will be working to ensure that all residents in the 5th District of Indiana are accurately counted and represented. This confidential count affects how we plan for the future and our voice in government. Responding to the 2020 Census is our civic duty, and I encourage all Hoosiers to participate.
In mid-March, households will begin receiving official Census Bureau mail with detailed information on how to respond to the 2020 Census. There are three ways to respond to the 2020 Census. You will have three options for responding; online, phone, or mail. By April 1, 2020, every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census.
Every year, billions of dollars in federal funding go to hospitals, fire departments, public safety, schools, roads, and other resources based on census data. The results of the census also determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, and they are used to draw congressional and state legislative districts.
To learn more about the 2020 Census, click here or call my Carmel office at 317-848-0201.
In November, my office began interviewing veterans in the 5th District of Indiana for the purpose of submitting their stories to the Library of Congress. So far, we interviewed veterans who served in armed conflicts including World War II, the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm in Kuwait, and the Iraq War. We are grateful to learn of their heroic service. The Veterans History Project launched in 2000 and works to collect and preserve the personal accounts of our nation’s war veterans during their time in service. By sharing their stories, future generations will be able to hear directly from the veteran and learn of their service and sacrifice.
If you are a war veteran or know of one who would like to share their story, please click here for more information.
Thank you to the constituents who took time to come speak with me at my “Connect with Your Congresswoman” event at the St. Vincent Mercy Hospital in Elwood this week. For those of you who haven’t attended a Connect event, they are open, public meetings that anyone who lives in the Fifth District can attend. I meet with attendees one-on-one, which gives everyone a chance to speak with me and ensures that if you have a sensitive issue you need help with you can discuss it in a private setting. Meeting with constituents and hearing about matters that you and your loved-ones care about most is a privilege, and I am proud to represent such passionate and thoughtful residents of the Fifth District.
Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. I hope this new year and new decade has gotten off to a great start for you and your family. To get instant updates on my work, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. As always, feel free to be in touch with any questions or comments you may have.
Sincerely,
Congresswoman Susan W. Brooks
