Illinois GOP Delegation Urge Pritzker
to Start Phased Reopening
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[August 12, 2020]
Congressmen
Darin LaHood (IL-18), Adam Kinzinger (IL-16), John Shimkus (IL-15),
Rodney Davis (IL-13), and Mike Bost (IL-12) sent a letter to
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker urging a plan that would begin a
safe, phased reopening of businesses critical to the state’s
economy. As noted in their letter, the coronavirus pandemic has
impacted different parts of the state in different ways, and a safe
and sensible reopening plan must reflect those differences.
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Following last week’s announcement of an extension
of the ‘Stay-at-Home’ order for the State of Illinois until May 30,
2020, the Illinois GOP delegation heard from their concerned
constituents and sent the attached letter to Governor Pritzker. This
week, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced the
highest number of deaths that the State of Illinois has seen in a
single day since the pandemic began. The Congressmen addressed this
in their joint statement below:
“Illinois is a diverse state and the
coronavirus has impacted communities in different ways. As we work
to start the phased reopening here at home, we cannot do so with a
blanket, one-size-fits-all plan. Sadly, this week marked the
deadliest day Illinois has faced with the coronavirus since the
pandemic began, and yet we still have several counties reporting
zero cases of COVID-19. As we continue to face rising numbers of
coronavirus in certain areas, we need to continue getting the
necessary resources to aid those areas. But we also need to
recognize that areas without any cases of the virus need to be
treated differently.
“We’re urging Governor Pritzker to take a regional approach by
starting the reopening process in low-risk areas. With improved and
increased testing, and an emergency response plan in place should an
outbreak occur, the Governor should move forward on allowing
Illinoisans the opportunity to make informed decisions on how they
can safely return to work. The federal government has done a great
deal to help the State of Illinois, like funding for health care
providers and economic boosts to small businesses, families,
individuals, and more.
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Now is the time for Governor
Pritzker to step up with a plan to reopen Illinois that prioritizes
the health of our people and our economy. We stand ready to work
with the Governor on this effort.”
The full letter can read
here.
Every Member of the Illinois GOP delegation voted in
favor of the four different phases of legislation to provide
financial aid and relief caused by the coronavirus pandemic. These
legislative efforts have provided dedicated funding to the State of
Illinois for testing, personal protective equipment (PPE), and much
needed relief to hospitals, schools, small businesses, farmers, and
families.
In terms of PPE, the federal government has already provided the
State of Illinois with more than 1.6 million N-95 masks, over 5.5
million surgical masks and 2.3 million surgical gowns, and almost 70
million medical gloves.
As a result of the CARES Act and the funding programs it created,
more than 44,000 small businesses in Illinois have received over
$12.5 billion in loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA)
just in a matter of weeks. The SBA and the IRS continue to issue
these Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Disaster
Payments to families and proprietors across the state and the
country, addressing the needs caused by the impacts of COVID-19.
[OFFICE OF CONGRESSMAN DARIN LaHOOD]
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