Rep. Gabbard Announces Over $132 Million in Public Health Emergency Funds to Hawaii

WASHINGTON, April 13 -- Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release:

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) announced that over $132 million in funds were distributed to over 1,700 healthcare providers in Hawai'i to help cover the costs they are incurring in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is in addition to the more than $10 million distributed to 14 community health centers across the state earlier this week. The funds were made available through the CARES Act passed by Congress last month, the third emergency funding bill in response to this crisis.

"Our health care providers are under unbelievable strain because of this pandemic. These emergency funds that Congress passed are critical to support the frontline healthcare workers and providers who are taking care of people in communities all across our state," said Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. "The funds released today also come with a stipulation that providers cannot engage in 'surprise billing' of patients for COVID-19 treatment. The first and foremost priority for everyone must be our health and the well-being and lives of our loved ones."

Background: Today, the Department of Health and Human Services distributed $30 billion to the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund. This is just part of a total of $100 billion that Congress allocated as part of the CARES Act and will provide immediate relief to providers. Of the $30 billion, $132 million was distributed to 1,776 healthcare providers in Hawai'i.

Earlier this week, the Health Resources & Services Administration, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, announced $1.3 billion in funds for community health centers also made possible by the CARES Act. In Hawai'i, over $10 million in funds were distributed to 14 community health centers.

In the last month, Rep. Gabbard cosponsored H.Res.908, a resolution which draws attention to the increased anti-Asian bigotry being witnessed during the coronavirus crisis and calls on the Federal government to work with state and local law enforcement to confront and prosecute hate crimes related to this, as well as reached out to U.S. Departments/Agencies, Congressional Leaders, and mortgage lenders to urge them to take measures that respect the hardships faced by individuals and families during this pandemic including a halt to all foreclosure and eviction proceedings and urging support for SNAP and WIC. She continues to call for direct support for those that are most in need in the relief bills before Congress, including farmers, ranchers, military families, rural communities, those living paycheck to paycheck, and the communities that rely on the tourism industry for their livelihoods.

Rep. Gabbard has continued to work to make sure that much-needed medical supplies, testing, and personal protective equipment (PPE) are readily available and recently sent a letter requesting that the Trump Administration prioritize working with our trading partners to ensure medical providers can obtain needed equipment quickly. She also sent a letter to the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services calling for the Departments to ensure access to PPE for essential childcare providers.

On March 27, the House passed H.R.748 by voice vote. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, is the third bill passed by Congress as part of its emergency response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The bill includes direct cash payments to Americans, assistance for those who are out of work due to the outbreak, funding for small businesses, hospitals, and health care workers, and state and local governments. The bill's funding for state and local governments includes at least $1.2 billion for Hawai'i.

In March, working with Hawai'i's Congressional Delegation, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard sent two letters calling on President Trump to support Hawai'i's request for medical equipment, supplies and resources for the state.

On March 21, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard called for an immediate implementation of a 14-day self-quarantine for all passengers arriving in Hawaii, both visitors and returning residents. The state later announced that a self-quarantine requirement would be implemented on March 26, but Rep. Tulsi Gabbard continued to advocate for an immediate implementation. She also sent a letter calling on the President to issue a minimum two-week, nationwide shelter-in-place order -- a proven, effective solution to slowing the spread of the virus.

Rep. Gabbard voted to pass the first round of emergency funds to address the novel coronavirus. The first coronavirus emergency funding bill that she helped pass in Congress led to over $750,000 being allocated to 14 community health centers in our district.

Rep. Gabbard voted on March 14 to pass H.R.6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which will provide free testing for COVID-19, two weeks of paid sick leave, up to three months paid family and medical leave, unemployment insurance for furloughed workers, food security for those who rely on food stamps, student meals, senior nutrition plans, and food banks, and increase federal Medicaid funds for local, state, tribal and territorial governments and health systems.

Rep. Gabbard also introduced H.Res. 897, a resolution that would provide an emergency non-taxable Universal Basic Payment of $1,000 per month to all adult Americans until COVID-19 no longer presents a public health emergency. She was the earliest Member of Congress to introduce legislation for a Universal Basic Income-like payment as a temporary economic stimulus package to directly and immediately help Americans as they weather this crisis.

As the virus was first spreading in different parts of the world, Rep. Gabbard called on the Trump Administration to suspend flights from South Korea and Japan given the prevalence of COVID-19 infections in these countries, until they could guarantee all passengers would be tested prior to boarding flights to the United States.

In order to ensure that any treatment developed for COVID-19 is accessible and affordable, Rep. Gabbard joined a letter to President Trump demanding that pharmaceutical companies are not issued exclusive licenses for the production of such treatments or capitalize on drugs that have been funded by taxpayer dollars.

Rep. Gabbard also wrote to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar calling for clear guidelines for state and local governments to receive federal reimbursement for the costs they are incurring as part of their response to this public health crisis.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has hosted four tele-town hall events, on March 18, March 25, April 1, and April 8, in order to update Hawai'i residents with news about what is being done to confront the pandemic and assist those who are being affected by it. She was joined on these calls by state and federal public officials as well as community leaders to answer questions from across the state.

She has also created a COVID-19 resource webpage on her website as well as sent out regular e-newsletter updates to keep connected with constituents as developments happen.

About Rep. Tulsi Gabbard: Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is serving her fourth term in the United States House representing Hawai'i's Second District, and serves on the House Armed Services and Financial Services Committees. She previously served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Homeland Security Committee. She was elected to the Honolulu City Council in 2010, and prior to that at age 21, was elected to the Hawaii State Legislature in 2002, becoming the youngest person ever elected in the state. Tulsi Gabbard has served in the Hawaii Army National Guard for 16 years, is a veteran of two Middle East deployments, and continues to serve as a Major. Learn more about Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.