Updates

Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) today joined Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, along with Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger (all D-Md.), to announce $200,000 in federal funding for Johns Hopkins University (JHU) through the National Science Foundation (NSF) Rapid Response Research (RAPID) grant program to support the management and development of JHU’s COVID-19 interactive online dashboard.

Coronavirus Relief: More Than $9M Going Toward COVID-19 Housing Relief For Marylanders
WJZ-TV (Online)

More than $9 million is being directed to COVID-19 housing relief for Marylanders for tenant-based housing voucher recipients.

The full Maryland congressional delegation, which includes U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Andy Harris, M.D., Anthony G. Brown, Jamie B. Raskin and David Trone, announced the funding on Thursday.

The funding comes from the CARES Act, which is provided $1.25 billion nationwide for tenant-based rental assistance to help with the Housing Choice Voucher program. It includes $400 million for increased subsidy costs, which are paid directly to landlords and $850 million for administration and other expenses incurred by public housing authorities to “support or maintain the health and safety of assisted individuals and families, and costs related to retention and support of participating owners.

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Maryland delegation calls on Trump to allow use of federal facilities for coronavirus testing
Ovetta Wiggins, The Washington Post

Members of the Maryland congressional delegation urged President Trump to allow the state to use federal facilities, such as Fort Meade and the National Institutes of Health, for coronavirus testing. In a letter to the president, the delegation said that designating the National Capital Region as a federally supported testing site is critical for the increased testing needed to reopen the region.... The congressional letter is signed by Reps. Anthony G. Brown (D), Steny H. Hoyer (D), Andy Harris (R), C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D), John Sarbanes (D), Jamie B. Raskin (D), David Trone (D) and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D).

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Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) today joined Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin, along with Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer and Anthony G. Brown (all D-Md.), to announce that Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) will receive $664,606 from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to invest in video telehealth services as part of AAMC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) today voted to pass the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, a bill to provide additional economic relief for small businesses, extend critical funding to hospitals, health care providers and frontline health care workers and expand COVID-19 testing capabilities across America.

Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) and the Maryland Congressional Delegation today expressed concern about recent reports that loan servicers are not allowing veterans with VA Home Loans to access the loan forbearance provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The bill included protection for borrowers with federally backed mortgage loans who are experiencing financial hardships and are unable to make payments due to this COVID-19 crisis. VA Home Loans are covered under this provision.

Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) and the Maryland Congressional Delegation today held a phone call with Maryland Secretary of Labor Tiffany P. Robinson to discuss the unprecedented challenges faced by Marylanders trying to access Unemployment Insurance and to learn about the state agency’s plans to improve the claims process.

The conversation came after the Delegation’s letter to Secretary Robinson last week, offering support and assistance in ensuring that Marylanders are able to receive Unemployment Insurance in a timely manner.

Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) and the Maryland Congressional Delegation today urged President Donald Trump and General Motors (GM) Chairman and CEO Mary Barra to reopen the GM plant in White Marsh, Maryland to help fulfill the company's recent contract to produce thousands of ventilators under the Defense Production Act and to supply the region with critical medical supplies as the number of local COVID-19 cases continues to grow.

Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) and the Maryland Congressional Delegation today announced $1,665,000 in federal funding to help create disaster relief jobs for laid-off workers in Maryland. Funding comes from the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Dislocated Worker Grants (DWGs).