releases: https://woodall.house.gov/media-center/e-newsletter-archive/district-connection-101320
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| https://woodall.house.gov/media-center/e-newsletter-archive/district-connection-101320 | District Connection - 10/13/20 | 2020-10-13 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Republican | Senate | GA | Rob Woodall | W000810 | woodall.house.gov | legacy | CBO RELEASES LONG-TERM BUDGET OUTLOOK The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is Congress' non-partisan scorekeeper, and each year, CBO publishes a report on the United States' long-term budget outlook. CBO's most recent report is the most troubling that I have seen. Driven by COVID-related spending, by the end of 2020, federal debt held by the public will equal 98 percent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). That will grow to 107 percent by 2023, the highest level ever recorded in our nation's history. And even though revenues are expected to rise, our overall financial situation is expected to decline. Our debt situation is projected to be so serious that by 2050, we'll be spending more on interest payments to service our debt than we will spend on all of Social Security. What a tragedy to see that amount of money going to debt service rather than being invested in the American people. We all know that the COVID-19 emergency has required more spending than anyone could have imagined, and I don't begrudge the government spending money when it is necessary. But, CBO's report shows us that every dollar counts, and we must make sure that we are using each precious dollar for its best and highest use. We know that sacrifices must be made in the future to ensure the U.S. Treasury is in a healthier place equipped to weather future, unknown economic storms. You can read the entire 2020 CBO Long-Term Budget Outlook HERE. EFFORTS TO ADRESSS MENTAL HEALTH AMID COVID-19 PANDEMIC Last week, President Trump issued an Executive Order that directs Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar and Brooke Rollins, Acting Director of the Domestic Policy Council, to form a Coronavirus Mental Health Working Group. The group will initiate an all-of-government approach to address the mental health impacts of COVID-19, including examining ways to maximize federal support through agencies like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) which was allocated $425 million in emergency funding, to provide for those in need. The Executive Order also directs the Working Group to support at-risk groups who may be disproportionately affected including veterans, minority populations, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and others. I am glad the Administation is continuing to look for ways to address the emotional and mental toll levied on millions of Americans during this time, and I also appreciate that focus on improving mental health has continued in Congress as well. While I previously discussed some of the bipartisan mental health measures the House passed, we also recently advanced H.R. 1109, the Mental Health Services for Students Act, H.R. 7293, the STANDUP Act, and H.R. 2519, the Improving Mental Health Access from the Emergency Department Act. Collectively, these bills expand federal support providing grants for mental health services in schools, require certain federally-supported entities to implement school-based student suicide awareness and prevention policies, and direct grant funding to increase access to follow-up care for emergency room patients who experience an acute mental health episode. I hope the Senate will begin to consider some of these, and other mental health-focused bills, that have garnered larger, bipartisan support. These efforts, coupled with the increased support from family, friends, and our surrounding communities that we have seen at this time, surely stand to better serve those in need. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FURTHERS RELIEF EFFORTS Over the course of the public health emergency, I have commonly discussed many of the efforts, both at the federal level and across our communities, to serve families in need. We have seen some of the most significant federal efforts to provide relief through programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), like through its Farmers to Families Food Box Program. The mission of that program was two-fold, to provide an outlet for farmers whose normal food distribution supply chains were disrupted and to direct fresh, healthy foods to those facing increased food insecurity, many unsure of where their next meal may come from. The USDA recently announced that it has surpassed more than 100 million food box distributions through the program since its upstart only five months ago! And we must remember, the issue of food insecurity isn't just a domestic one; it's also a global one, with estimates indicating that an additional 130 million may face insecurity by the end of this year because of the COVID-19 crisis. As we recognize World Food Day this Friday, I am proud of our country's longstanding partnerships to end hunger and malnutrition, and the generosity of the American people to support families across the globe. Additionally, USDA recently announced a second round of payments for agricultural producers through its Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), dubbed CFAP 2. These funds will be used to support producers whose commodities have experienced sharp declines and those in need of additional support. Undeniably, the COVID-19 crisis has, in many ways, illuminated the need to strengthen the integrity of our food supply chains, and I hope Congress will continue to evaluate how we can be most successful in achieving that goal as discussions about long-term reforms move forward. PROVIDER RELIEF FUND CONTINUES TO SUPPORT MEDICAL PROVIDERS The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced an additional $20 billion in funding through the Provider Relief Fund to support health care providers serving on the frontlines during the continued public health emergency. As you may recall, one of the key components of the CARES Act was the creation of this Fund to reimburse providers for health care related expenses or lost revenues that are directly attributable to COVID-19. This new announcement follows the more than $100 billion in relief already distributed through the Fund, which has supported a variety of Medicare and Medicaid-supported health care providers, including skilled nursing facilities, rural hospitals, children's hospitals, safety net hospitals, and hospitals in high-impact areas. HHS has also said that this new "general distribution" has been expanded to include those mental health providers who have not yet been supported. As we all know, with many states continuing to see a rise in new COVID-19 cases, we must continue to do our part to support healthcare providers by following public health guidelines and social distancing protocols. We cannot afford to overwhelm our hospital system and jeopardize care for the sickest, hospitalized patients. CONSTITUENT SPOTLIGHT: DENOUNCING CALLS TO PACK THE SUPREME COURT As the Senate Judiciary Committee continues its hearings this week on President Trump's nominationof Judge Amy Coney Barrett to serve as the newest Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, many of you may have heard about calls from legislators and others to reform the Supreme Court. One of the most pervasive and troubling proposals is to increase the number of Justices serving on our nation's highest court. Allowing the politicalparty that is in control of the White House and Senate to "pack" the Supreme Court with more than nine Justices distorts other judicial viewpoints and casts aside over 150 years of precedent. Here is what I heard from some of you on the topic. Kevin from Lilburn: Court packing shouldn't be a partisan issue. Instead, it would divide the country even more than previously, and it would ruin the Court's legitimacy and cause everyone to see it as merely a political tool. Jennifer from Peachtree Corners: We demand that Congress and the States pass the Keep Nine constitutional amendment specifying that the "Supreme Court shall consist of nine members." We believe this constitutional amendment is vital to preserve the checks and balances at the heart of our system of government. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ As some of you may know, the number of Supreme Court Justices is not defined in the U.S. Constitution, and that number has fluctuated anywhere from six to ten throughout the earliest days of our nation's history. However, the1869 Judiciary Act, signed by President Ulysses S. Grant, established for the last century and a half the longstanding precedent of a nine-justice Supreme Court. Since then, only one President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, in response to the Court striking down pieces of his New Deal legislation, has tried to push legislation that would pack the Court beyond its current-numbered bench. That move, which would have added up to a total of 15, was widely criticized at the time not only by members of the President's party, including the Vice President, but also by then Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Evan Hughes. Even Justice Louis Brandeis, the influential judicial activist cited as a major influence on the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, opposed President Roosevelt's measure, which harbored a clear politically-motivated intent. To explain, packing the Supreme Court could turn the bench into a political battering ram for the Majority party, permanently ending the Court's status as an incorruptible body and as an institution that is devoid of the most pervasive types of political pressue that are all too common across our other two branches of government.Eventhough a Roosevelt-packed Court would likely have served Justice Brandeis' own interests, he chose to stand for the Court's integrity and independence over the gamesmanship of his own party. I agree with Kevin, Jennifer, and the late Justice Brandeis that the Court's nine-justice bench ought to be preserved. Politicizing the Supreme Court has and will always jeopardize the integrity of our judicial system. The credibility of the Supreme Court and the faith the American people have in its decisions are dependent on the vast reservoir of institutional legitimacy that the Court has vested over time, which I believe, in part, can be reflected in the fact the number of justices has long remained unchanged and immovable from the political whims of the day. GWINNETT COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS RECOGNIZE TEACHERS OF THE YEAR Time and again, the Seventh District is recognized for having some of the best schools in the countryan achievement that is only made possible by our incredible teachers. Last week, Gwinnett County Public Schools named 139 Teachers of the Year for each public school in the county. Nominated and selected by their peers, 25 of these outstanding educators will soon be named semi-finalists, and one will then be named District Teacher of the Year for 2020. That honor will be announced on December 10th in a virtual ceremony. I would like to congratulate each of the Gwinnett County Public School Teachers of the Year for their outstanding work and service to our students. Our children's futures are brighter because of your incredible dedication to their learning and growth, particularly at a time when providing for that instruction is not without its challenges. Thank you for all that you do. FORSYTH COUNTY NONPROFIT RAISES $1 MILLION FOR CANCER RESEARCH When it comes to tackling some of our country's most difficult problems, I am never surprised to see members of our community leading the charge. Recently, the Forsyth County nonprofit Purple Pansies raised over $1 million for pancreatic cancer research at their first virtual galaan incredible testament to the generosity of our community and a powerful contribution to the fight against this cancer, one which has recently taken the life of two of our prominent leaders in government, Representative John Lewis (D-GA) and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, along with nearly 50,000 Americans each year. Founded in 2009, Purple Pansies partnered with Kroger for this year's gala, and funding from the event will go directly towards research and clinical trials to treat patients fighting pancreatic cancer. I hope you will join me in recognizing Purple Pansies and all of this year's donors for their contribution to the fight against pancreatic cancer. Individuals across our communities never fail to answer the call to support those in need. Sincerely, Rob Woodall Member of Congress | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |