As our state and nation begin to slowly reopen, I am committed to keeping you informed with the most up to date information possible. Please visit my COVID-19 Resources and Updates web page for daily updates and various resources for students and parents, veterans, seniors, small businesses and more.

Telephone Town Hall

Last week, I hosted a telephone town hall alongside Kathleen Kelm of the Minnesota Taxpayer Advocate office. She has worked for the IRS for nearly 40 years. She was on hand to answer any questions regarding economic assistance payments and issues with tax filings during this unprecedented time. If you are in need of assistance regarding your stimulus check or other tax related issues, please visit my Individuals Resource Page or contact my casework team.

The IRS has a Get My Payment tool to assist you. It will allow you to see the status of your payment and answer questions about your eligibility. You must input your direct deposit information by tomorrow, May 13 to receive your economic assistance in your bank account. Otherwise, if you are eligible, you will receive a check in the mail.

STOP Act

Wednesday, I joined Jay Caldwell on WJON to discuss the Senior Abuse Training and Offense Prevention (STOP) Act, which I introduced last week. This legislation will provide existing grants for initiatives combating elder abuse. We also discussed funding which was secured for the St. Cloud Airport to continue their operations.

I shared with him our efforts to keep the supply chain moving. I have been working diligently to ensure our pork producers are able to have their meat processed and moved to the market. After President Trump invoked the Defense Production Act regarding pork plants, we saw a positive shift in the movement of the supply chain, but more must be done to help our pork producers.

I have continued to advocate for broad support for pork producers in the aid offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). I joined a group of my Midwestern colleagues to urge the Administration to include pork producers in the aid packages. Now more than ever, they need our support.

Donate Plasma

For individuals who have had COVID-19 and recovered, the FDA is urging you to donate plasma to help others afflicted with the virus.Those that have had coronavirus may have antibodies that help immune systems fight the virus. This plasma may help save the lives of other patients.