U.S. Senator Gary Peters continues to work tirelessly on behalf of those who need it most in Michigan during this crisis. From fighting to ensure that hospitals, small businesses, and faith based organizations and nonprofits in underserved communities receive much needed relief, to calling for PFAS cleanup efforts in Oscoda – Gary’s work never stops.
Here is how Gary has been getting things done for Michigan this week:
GARY IS FIGHTING FOR HOSPITALS AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS
Gary has been repeatedly urging the Trump administration to assist hospitals in getting the financial relief they so desperately need in this crisis.
MLive: Michigan hospitals are needed now more than ever. Why are they laying off workers?
- “The $2 trillion CARES Act, signed by the president on March 27, includes $100 billion to stabilize cash-strapped hospitals and other health care entities responding to the coronavirus pandemic. Another $484 billion emergency spending package included $75 billion for hospitals.”
- “Michigan’s U.S. senators Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, and Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, sent a letter urging the Trump administration to help hospitals access the relief immediately.”
GARY PROPOSES GRANT PROGRAM FOR FAITH BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND NONPROFITS IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES
Gary proposed the creation of a new federal grant program to provide underserved communities with the necessary resources for outreach during public health emergencies. The proposal comes as recent reporting continues to show that communities of color are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
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- “There’s no question that we need to be helping underserved communities and if you just look at the disparities of communities that are being hit by COVID, and communities of color. African Americans in the state for example, represent 14% of the population of the state yet over 40% of the deaths are in the community.”
- “We need to do everything we can to make sure folks in communities of color have access to the resources that are available but you know many folks may not have access to the internet, they may not have a primary care physician. And I find that those institutions that people trust their faith based institutions, their local churches, nonprofits, need to be in a position to provide resources and to help people find what is needed.”
- “Whether it’s mental health or food or or medical care, or assistance with business, small business related needs. So that’s why it’s important to put more resources into communities that clearly need it right now.”
WDIV Detroit: Gary Peters discusses bill to create a grant program to help minority communities during the Coronavirus pandemic
- “Senator Gary Peters is introducing a bill to create a grant program to help minority communities during the Coronavirus pandemic. Peters says providing grants to community-based organizations can help people find important resources.”
- “You want to get information out, working with local nonprofits and particularly faith-based organizations, our local churches, are absolutely critical to getting information to people. Information that can lead to access to health care, to testing facilities, to food banks, mental health is another important need.”
GARY DISCUSSES HIS WORK TO PROVIDE SMALL BUSINESSES WITH NEEDED RELIEF
Gary joined Detroit Today’s Jake Neher on WDET last week to discuss his efforts to ensure Michigan’s small businesses receive equitable funding during the Coronavirus crisis and his calls for a GAO investigation into the distribution of funds.
WDET: Sen. Gary Peters: Michigan’s Small Businesses Need More Help
- On Ensuring Small Businesses Relief Is Equitable: “I heard stories, constantly from small businesses that simply couldn’t get in the queue and what we found because the money was being distributed through banks and credit unions, but oftentimes banks would take care of their better customers first and other customers would go to the back of the line. And oftentimes the customers that went to the back of the line were those small businesses that were the ones hurting the most and weren’t able to get those resources. So that’s why we fought for and got a carve out of money to make sure that those banks and smaller banks in our underserved areas like rural areas, in our minority communities, and other places would have money to help those businesses in those areas, and to make sure it is much more equitable.“
- On Calls To InvestigateThe Distribution Of COVID-19 Small Business Relief: “In fact I’ve asked the GAO to do an investigation as to how the money was actually dispersed with that first transfer of money. If you think of Michigan, we’re in roughly the 10th largest state in the country in terms of population but we rank in terms of the money going to our small businesses, we rank 35 out of 50. That’s unacceptable. I’m saying we need to have this money distributed equitably to small businesses all across the country. Clearly that wasn’t happening, we needed to take a pause and say we need to see where this money went, and we have to make a course correction to make sure that those businesses that are hurting the most have the opportunity to get the resources, stay in business, and be available to continue to keep their people employed going forward.”
GARY IS WORKING TO CLEANUP AND PREVENT THE SPREAD OF PFAS CONTAMINATION
Gary stood with Michigan’s families and environmental groups in pressing the Air Force to begin PFAS cleanup efforts to prevent further spread in Oscoda.
Gongwer: Group Demands 2023 Deadline For Air Force’s Wurtsmith PFAS Cleanup
- “An Oscoda-based community action environmental group is calling on the United States Air Force to commit to fully stopping leakage of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from the Wurtsmith Air Force Base within the next three years.”
- “In a statement released Friday, the group Need Our Water said the Air Force must commit to the stoppage and to the commencement of immediate remediation of plumes effecting Van Etten Lake and conclude work by no later than 2023.”
- “Sen. Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Township) in a statement said families living in the area have “suffered for far too long through no fault of their own,” committing to further press the Air Force for action.”
- “When I brought Assistant Air Force Secretary Henderson to Oscoda last year, the message was loud and clear: The Air Force needs to do a whole lot more to remediate PFAS contamination in Oscoda and surrounding areas,” Mr. Peters said. “It is vital that the cleanup efforts begin swiftly so that we can prevent the spread of PFAS in the area and reduce exposure in the community.”
