releases: https://woodall.house.gov/media-center/e-newsletter-archive/washington-watch-10520
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| https://woodall.house.gov/media-center/e-newsletter-archive/washington-watch-10520 | Washington Watch - 10/5/20 | 2020-10-05 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Republican | Senate | GA | Rob Woodall | W000810 | woodall.house.gov | legacy | SEPTEMBER JOBS REPORT SHOWS MODERATE BUT CONTINUED GAINS The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its most recent jobs report last Friday, revealing gains in sectors that were among the hardest hit during the pandemic earlier this year, including retail, health care, and leisure and hospitality. With the addition of roughly 661,000 jobs in September, the national unemployment rate dropped from 8.4% to 7.9%, and 11.4 million jobs have now returned since the beginning of the public health emergency. However, the report also indicates a 0.3 percent decline in the labor force participation rate, which some economists attribute to an increase in at-home schooling amid the start of the new school year. While it will continue to take time to fully recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis, we must remember the important role that adherence to public health guidelines will play in furthering our economic recovery. Particularly as the fall season moves forward which also historically marks the beginning of flu season, following public health guidelines will not only ensure the health and safety of the most at-risk among us, it will ensure businesses can continue to operate and reopen for the long-term. EFFORT IN HOUSETO RESTART PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM As many of you may have heard, Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) recently filed a discharge petition, a tool in the House thatif it can garner 218 signatures from Members of Congressbrings a bill to the floor for consideration. H.R. 8265 provides for the second draw of the roughly $134 billion remaining Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds that sit idle for businesses that have no more than 300 employees and demonstrate at least a 25 percent reduction in gross revenues compared to that of 2019. Additionally, it would expand the PPP to include certain 501(c)(6) organizations and would set aside $25 billion specifically for entities with 10 or fewer employees. I have signed the discharge petition, but it still remains short of the 218 signatures needed. As congressional leaders still remain at an impasse on reaching a larger bipartisan COVID relief deal, we cannot continue to let that inaction mean none at all. I hope more of my colleagues will join me in signing on to this effort to support businesses and individuals who remain in need of additional relief. HOUSE CONTINUES TO MOVE BIPARTISAN BILLS ON SUSPENSION CALENDAR While bigger bills remain mired in partisan fights, smaller bills are having more success. Last week, I discussed some of the bipartisan bills that the House was able to move forward, and I am glad that trend continued into this week. While you can read a full list of the more than 50 pieces of legislation the House advanced HERE, I want to highlight some bills in particular, many on which I heard support for from folks back home. Included among those bills that the House passed this week was legislation I cosponsored, H.R. 4439, the Creating Hope Reauthorization Act, which permanently authorizes the rare pediatric disease priority review voucher program at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This program incentivizes the pharmaceutical industry to develop treatments for rare childhood cancers and diseases. Another bill which I cosponsored, along with 261 of my Republican and Democrat colleagues, that was included was H.R.1754, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act. This bill designates a new, independent Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority to implement and enforce safety and anti-doping standards to better ensure the safety of equines and strengthen the integrity of this industry. The House also passed H.R. 4764, the TRANSPLANT Act to reauthorize the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program, which supports patients with leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell anemia, or other metabolic disorders who are in need of life-saving bone marrow transplants. To follow, the House passed H.R. 6813, the Promoting Alzheimer's Awareness to Prevent Elder Abuse Act which strengthens our ongoing efforts under the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act that Congress passed and the President signed into law in 2017, by ensuring training materials developed under this act prepare law enforcement and first responders to recognize and manage abuse cases involving Alzheimer's and dementia patients. Additionally, the House passed a resolution reaffirming our commitment to the peaceful transition of power after Presidential elections, a cornerstone of our Constitution and democratic system, following the Senate's unanimous passage of a virtually identical measure in its Chamber last week. Lastly, the House considered and approved H.R. 5912, the Expediated Delivery of Airport Infrastructure Act, which allows funds dedicated to the Airport Improvement Program, which provides grants to public agencies for public-use airports, to be used to make incentive payments for the early completion of airport construction projects that can be completed quickly and safely. This follows models already being deployed for other existing transportation projects, helping airports reduce costly delays and saving taxpayer dollars. As you can see, from bills ranging on the topics of health, to judiciary, to transportation and infrastructure, there is more opportunity than fewer to set politics aside for progress. Bills like these demonstrate that the House's commitment to the American people can and must supersede partisan politics. MEANINGFUL AIRCRAFT CERTIFICATION REFORM PASSES COMMITTEE Last week, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed a series of bipartisan bills to send to the House floor, including H.R. 8408, the Aircraft Certification Reform and Accountability Act, legislation that was crafted in response to the two Boeing 737 MAX crashes that killed over 300 people. The bill includes a number of reforms to the Federal Aviation Administration's aircraft certification process for all aviation manufacturers, and a number targeted to Boeing specifically to ensure their previous missteps are not repeated. It also bolsters whistleblower protections, increases transparency and accountability, and limits conflicts of interest between industry and oversight officials. I am pleased the Committee was able to work across party lines to craft such comprehensive reforms to ensure we are employing the safest standards for aircraft that fly our skies and protect airline passengers for years to come. Additionally, the Committee considered bills to improve the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This included H.R. 8266 which would amend the federal cost share formula when providing disaster relief to states and localities impacted by multiple catastrophic events. Another, H.R. 4358, would help to improve FEMA's preliminary damage assessment process and foster better relationships and communication between the agency and target aid organizations. Both of these bills provide common-sense solutions to addressing our nation's disaster response and readiness, and I'm hopeful we will see these on the House floor soon. CONSTITUENT SPOTLIGHT: SUPPORTING OUR MEDICAL PROVIDERS This August, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its proposed rule for 2021 implementing certain changes under Medicare's Physician Fee Schedule which determinates payment for physician services under Medicare Part B. Below are some of the messages I have received from individuals and medical providers across our community about those proposed changes. Alexis from Cumming: I am very concerned that the dramatic rate reductions included in the CY 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule will result in decreased access to care and services for older adults and individuals with disabilities who rely on Medicare. I am contacting you to ask that you please add your signature to a Dear Colleague Congressional sign-on letter to the HHS and CMS regarding the significant cuts to the 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS). Mohammad from Snellville: Recently, CMS recently finalized a major rule that will increase reimbursement rates for evaluation and management (E/M) services. These services are the foundation of primary and cognitive care and are critical in diagnosing, treating, and managing patients with chronic conditions like Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer's. It has been widely accepted across the house of medicine that E/M services have been long undervalued in the Medicare physician fee schedule, limiting access to care for the most vulnerable patients. I strongly urge you to support its implementation without delay. ________________________________________________________________ This year's proposed Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), that upon issuance of a final rule would go into effect beginning January 2021, includes increased payments for office and outpatient Evaluation and Management (E/M) visits,additions to the telehealth services list,and new payment rates for immunization administration services, among others. However, the annual budget neutrality requirement in the PFS means that payment increases for certain services must be coupled with equal reductions to others, which inevitably results in some provider groups benefiting and others facing cuts. Annual adjustments to the PFS is surely no easy task, and I appreciate the efforts of CMS each year to evaluate formulas for payment and do its best to balance the needs of multiple provider groups and patients in determining coverage for services. However, I absolutely recognize the immense financial strain that providers, including procedure-oriented providers, many of whom would face cuts under the 2021 PFS, are under during the continued COVID-19 public health emergency. It is critical that these changes do not jeopardize these providers' ability to keep their doors open to continue to provide care. As Molly referenced, I joined a bipartisan group of members in sending aletter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and CMS asking that they, where possible, use their authority to mitigate the impacts of cuts on these providers while moving forward with their proposals to increase payments for primary care and other practitioners, like Mohammad, who are largely reimbursed under E/M visits. I am glad that more than 160 Members joined in that effort. While I am eager to hear CMS's response to this congressional effort, it is also important to remember, as with any proposed rule, these suggested changeswill be subject to rigorous review, debate, and public feedback. The good news is that this is the rulemaking process working as intended, and I hope HHS and CMS will continue their work to support providers and medical professionals across our community during this time. RECOGNIZING GEORGIA'S 2020 NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS The Department of Education recently announced its National Blue Ribbon School award winners for 2020, recognizing the extraordinary work of 367 public and private schools across the country serving grades K-12. Since 1982, the U.S. Secretary of Education has given this award to schools based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps between student groups. This year, nine schools in the state of Georgia were named as Blue Ribbon Schools, including Cornerstone Christian Academy in our district. I would like to congratulate Cornerstone Christian Academy and all our Georgia schools on this recognition for their hard work and dedication to their students' long-term success. Well done, and keep up the good work! CUMMING SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT RAISES MONEY FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT FAMILIES Time and again, individuals across our communities find fun and creative ways to give back to those who dedicate their lives to serving others. Residents across Cumming recently gathered at Central Park for a day of softball and charity to benefit B.A.D.G.E., a Forsyth County nonprofit dedicated to supporting Sherriff's Office employees and their families in times of need. Honorary Mayor Charlie Westbrook threw the first pitch, and teams from the fire department, local government, Sheriff's Office, and school district came to play. By the day's end, the Back the Blue Tournament had raised $60,000 for B.A.D.G.E.an incredible accomplishment and a well-deserved gift to our Forsyth County Sherriff's Office families. I would like to thank B.A.D.G.E. and all the softball tournament players and donors for taking the time to give back to those who serve us. Our district never fails to exceed expectations when it comes to supporting our first responder families. LAWRENCEVILLE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB RECEIVES STEM KITS FOR VIRTUAL LEARNING Gwinnett and Forsyth Counties have so much to be proud of when it comes to our students, which is why it comes as no surprise that some of our nation's largest businesses are investing in our kids' education. Last week, Amazon announced that it will be donating $20,000 to support Lawrenceville Boys and Club participants who are engaged in virtual learning. That donation will provide these students with at-home STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) kits to explore and engage with. With Amazon's Gwinnett County Fulfillment Center that is estimated to bring 1,000 jobs to our area set to open soon, the company took a keen interest in investing in our young people. You become a part of a community by embracing the people, the needs, and the spirit of that community, said Andy Ngo, the general manager of the new center. STEM is a critical building block of early education, and I want to thank the efforts of all our Boys and Girls Clubs who are working to supplement instruction and provide educational programming so that students can continue investing in their education. Your continued support at a time when that is most needed is critical and appreciated. HOUSE LEADERS CHOOSE PARTISAN COVID-19 BILL OVER BIPARTISAN RELIEF As you have undoubtedly read or heard, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has reached out directly to Speaker Nancy Pelosi to try once again to craft a compromise, bipartisan COVID-19 legislative package than can pass the House, the Senate and receive the President's signature. While everyone hoped they would find that still-elusive compromise last week to provide additional support for small businesses, schools, individual workers, and healthcare institutions continuing to face COVID-related economic difficulties, that wasn't the case. Instead, the Speaker brought to the floor and jammed across another partisan COVID bill. Actually, it was virtually the same partisan COVID bill that she forced across the floor earlier this year, but it was revised to reflect an October passage that only slightly lowered its price tag. Perhaps what was most disappointing is that this $2.2 trillion package wasn't a sincere effort to reach a bipartisan compromise, but was simply another reiteration of the same partisan messaging priorities, including a laundry list of liberal priorities that have no COVID nexus, like benefitting blue states by eliminatingthe state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap and expanding opportunities for marijuana dealers in western states. We have seen this liberal wish-list before, and Senate leaders had already indicated earlier this year it would not consider the bill and the President had already indicated he would not sign it into law. Thus, moving the bill again was simply another partisan charade. The only thing bipartisan about the bill was the opposition to itas every Republican and 18 Democrats voted against it. THE WEEK AHEAD I know millions of Americans are praying for President Trump and his family this week, after the President and First Lady recently tested positive for COVID-19. The news from the White House is very encouraging, and the conversations between the President and House leaders continue to focus on COVID relief and encouragement to Get it done! The official House Calendar does not show any voting days this week, but Secretary Mnuchin is still trying to bring Speaker Pelosi to the negotiating table. I hope that his work succeeds, and if it does, the House will vote on the measure as soon as it is ready. Georgia's businesses large and small and the workers those businesses employ need action. Many cynical commentators are suggesting that the House leadership doesn't want to solve any problems before the election. But while that certainly seems true, I simply do not believe it. When families and family businesses are suffering, I believe everyone wants to help. That is why we had a big bipartisan vote against Speaker Pelosi's messaging exercise this past week, and why we will have a big bipartisan vote in favor of a negotiated solution. Stay tuned. Sincerely, Rob Woodall Member of Congress | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |