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MANCHIN QUESTIONS OFFICIALS ON FUTURE VACCINE DISTRIBUTION IN RURAL AMERICA
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) today questioned U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials on Operation Warp Speed which oversees the research, creation, and production of a potential COVID-19 vaccine and the plans for future distribution of a potential vaccine in areas of rural America like West Virginia.
“Rural providers have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic. Across the United States COVID-19 cases are growing faster in rural areas at 13 percent compared to the national rate of 9 percent and for the second week in a row rural counties have had the highest number of cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. West Virginia saw its single day high just yesterday. We have 12 rural hospitals that have closed with three in West Virginia. We’re concerned about rural healthcare and how the vaccine is going to be distributed in those areas to make sure we’re able to meet the rising challenges we have, and that rural providers have the necessary equipment and personnel to administer the vaccine. Rural America is getting hit hard now and we knew it would be a delayed reaction of how they’re getting hit. But we have the most vulnerable population in the country in West Virginia because of our age and type of hard work they’ve done so they have underlying health conditions too, and if it hits it’s going to be of disastrous proportions. So we need to stay ahead of that and if we have a hard time getting a vaccine when it comes, we’re really up the crick,” said Senator Manchin.
To watch Senator Manchin question HHS and CDC officials on distribution of a potential vaccine in rural America, click here.
MANCHIN, HYDE-SMITH, TORRES SMALL, HAGEDORN URGE HHS TO PROVIDE RELIEF TO RURAL HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AFFECTED BY COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) and Representatives Xochitl Torres Small (D-NM-02) and Jim Hagedorn (R-MN-01) today led 49 Members of Congress in strongly encouraging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to quickly provide relief to rural healthcare providers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Senators Manchin and Hyde-Smith and Representatives Torres Small and Hagedorn on May 21 introduced the Save Our Rural Health Providers Act (S.3823/HR.7004) to create a new formula to ensure the Provider Relief Fund has a dedicated set-aside amount directed towards rural areas of America.
The Members said in part, “Rural healthcare was already in crisis prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the situation is only getting worse. Last year rural hospitals closures hit a record high, and 2020 is on pace to be even higher. So far this year twelve rural hospitals have closed, with hundreds more on the brink. Given both the cancellation of elective procedures because of the pandemic and the recent spread of COVID-19 in rural America, rural providers have a desperate and immediate need for more funding. Therefore, we request you make this funding available quickly to provide relief to struggling rural health care providers.”
MANCHIN, CAPITO ANNOUNCE $4.4 MILLION FOR COVID-19 RESPONSE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN WEST VIRGINIA
Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $4.4 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to update economic development plans and support programs that help communities respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“West Virginia’s local economies have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. This CARES Act funding will help our communities recover from this crisis, and I am pleased that the EDA is supporting economic development across West Virginia. I will keep advocating for future relief funding that supports our local governments and spurs economic recovery in the Mountain State because the fight against this pandemic is far from over,” said Senator Manchin.
In case you missed it: MANCHIN URGES DOJ TO DEFEND ACA, PROTECT HEALTHCARE COVERAGE FOR WEST VIRGINIANS WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) led 46 Senators in introducing a resolution urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to defend existing law, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), in court and halt its efforts to repeal the healthcare protections for 800,000 West Virginians and millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is unconscionable that during a global health crisis that has killed 93 West Virginians and over 125,000 Americans, the DOJ and Republican Attorneys General, including West Virginia’s Attorney General, continue to support pulling the rug out from under 800,000 West Virginians and millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions. My resolution calls on the DOJ to protect access to the quality, affordable healthcare coverage every American and West Virginian deserves by defending the ACA in court. I hope the DOJ and Republican Attorneys General will stop these continuous attacks on West Virginian’s healthcare and realize that while the ACA is nowhere near perfect, we have to work to fix the system we have instead of throwing millions off of their coverage in the middle of a pandemic,” said Senator Manchin.
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