By Senators Cramer, King, Rounds, Manchin, Daines, Smith, Barrasso, Tester, and Enzi "Agriculture is the economic engine for many communities in the Midwest, North East, and across the Upper Great Plains. Our agricultural producers play a critical role in feeding and fueling our nation, and also in our national security strategy. When we can produce affordable, nutritious food here at home, we don't have to rely on other countries to obtain it. Unfortunately, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is exposing several vulnerabilities to our nation's food supply chain. "Today, around 80 percent of the nation's beef is processed by only four meat packing companies, two of which are foreign owned. In the last few weeks, several of their processing facilities have closed because of COVID-19 outbreaks among their workforce. This highlights a chokepoint in our food supply chain. With fewer processing plants available to accept livestock, our farmers and ranchers have fewer outlets for their product. At the same time, American consumers are seeing shortages of beef, pork and poultry at the grocery store. "As we look to enhance additional markets for producers and consumers, one is immediately available. The New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act is a bipartisan bill which would allow meat and poultry products inspected by state Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) programs to be sold across state lines. Senators Rounds (R-S.D.) and King (I-Maine) led a bipartisan group of senators to introduce this legislation last year, and now we are urging our congressional leaders to include it in any future economic recovery measures. "This commonsense legislation would allow meat and poultry products that have been inspected by a Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS)-approved state MPI program to be sold across state lines. Right now, there are 27 states with inspection programs certified by FSIS that meet or exceed federal inspection standards. However, only six states are allowed to sell their state- inspected meat and poultry across state lines. "Under federal regulations, state MPI standards must be "at least equal to" federal meat and poultry inspection programs. For example, in South Dakota, state-inspected meat products such as beef and pork are limited to markets within South Dakota, despite being subject to inspections equal to or exceeding federal inspection standards. "This bill would level the playing field for producers of meat and poultry products while maintaining the highest quality standards for consumers. Since the state inspection standards are required by law to be equal to or better than the federal inspection standards, it makes sense to allow products that pass state inspection protocols to be sold across state lines. This legislation will create new markets for producers and processers, give consumers more choices at the grocery store, and continue to maintain the high quality and safety standards necessary to keep consumers healthy. "Farmers and ranchers in South Dakota, Maine, North Dakota, Iowa, Montana, West Virginia, Wyoming, Minnesota, and across the country consistently produce some of the highest-quality products in the world. This legislation opens up new markets for farmers and ranchers and will promote a more competitive meat and poultry processing environment. It will give smaller, state inspected meat and poultry processing facilities the opportunity to compete in markets throughout the United States. "As Congress continues debating ways to provide economic relief while bolstering our nation's supply chains, we will be seeking to get commonsense ideas such as this included in any potential legislation."

By Senators Kevin Cramer, Joni Ernst, and David Perdue "As folks in our home states of North Dakota, Iowa, Georgia, and across the country are adjusting to life during the COVID-19 pandemic, it's become clear that access to the internet is paramount. "As you might imagine, the uptick in internet activity is noticeable. According to the Rural Broadband Association, since the COVID-19 national emergency was declared on March 13, its broadband providers have experienced increases in usage, as people are downloading and uploading data at significantly higher rates. "The reason behind the spike is pretty simple. Teachers and students are using broadband to keep the school year on schedule. Companies are moving their workplaces online, and employees are using broadband to stay connected. Healthcare providers are utilizing telehealth to connect with patients. People across the country are using the internet to apply for resources and to seek assistance. Families are relying on broadband to get updates from friends and loved ones. Immunocompromised individuals are using the internet to acquire necessities they need instead of going to a physical store. "These and other functions need to be protected, yet many providers are beginning to feel this pandemic's economic impact. In the same survey previously mentioned, more than 54% of respondents from 38 states have seen an increase of up to 20% in uncollectible payments. "Many of these broadband providers have taken the Federal Communications Commission's Keep Americans Connected Pledge. By taking the pledge, it has agreed to: not terminate service to any residential or small business customers because of their inability to pay their bills during this pandemic; waive any late fees that any residential or small business customers incur because of their economic circumstances; and to open its Wi-Fi hot spots to anyone who needs them. "Maintaining a reliable internet connection, especially for people in our rural communities, is critically important to weathering the COVID-19 pandemic. Congress needs to play its part in keeping folks connected. "That is why we've teamed up with our Democratic and Republican colleagues to help tackle this issue. Our bipartisan bill, (led by Sen. Amy Klobuchar) the Keeping Critical Connections Act, would create a program using existing, unobligated funds to incentivize small broadband providers to deliver free or discounted broadband services or upgrades for low-income families struggling to pay their bills or who have a student in the household in need of distance-learning capability during COVID-19. This will help our rural communities stay connected, as many of these small broadband providers serve our remote areas. "We cannot allow the COVID-19 pandemic to increase the digital divide that continues to plague our nation. Whether it's to help our schools, businesses, and healthcare providers operate remotely, or making sure people stay connected, reliable broadband connectivity is as important as ever. "This bipartisan effort will help keep our citizens connected while making sure our smaller providers are made whole as we make it through these challenging days. This would be an important step to protecting internet connectivity for all, and we are urging our congressional colleagues to join us in this fight."

By U.S. Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer and Representative Kelly Armstrong "On March 27, President Trump signed bipartisan legislation providing unprecedented support for combatting the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID--19) pandemic. "In addition to greatly increasing support for health care providers and life-saving medical equipment, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act helps address the economic downturn caused by COVID-19 by injecting immediate relief into the economy and giving assistance to American families and workers who need it most. It builds on the emergency supplemental funding bill we passed early in March and the targeted relief we passed shortly thereafter. "The best way to fight the effects of COVID--19 is to fight the pandemic itself, which is why we helped secure $100 billion for hospitals and health care providers who are working to help sick people recover and to ultimately develop effective treatments and a vaccine. "The CARES Act also includes $45 billion for FEMA disaster relief; $16 billion to purchase personal protective equipment (PPEs), ventilators and other medical supplies; $11 billion for vaccines, diagnostics and preparedness needs; $4.3 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and $1 billion for the Defense Production Act so manufacturers can ramp up the production of critically needed supplies. We are grateful for the tireless efforts of our health care providers and are fully committed to getting the medical community the resources it needs to end this pandemic. "As they do so, we want to make sure American families, workers and businesses can weather this storm. A key component of the CARES Act is the Paycheck Protection Program, which provides eight weeks of cash-flow assistance to small businesses who maintain their payroll during the emergency. The primary purpose of this program is to ensure that employees continue to get paid by their employer and face as little financial disruption as possible. "The program -- administered by the Small Business Administration, through a partnership with local banks and credit unions -- can cover payroll costs, paid sick leave, supply chain disruptions, employee salaries, health insurance premiums, mortgage payments, and other debt obligations. This gives small businesses immediate access to capital. Employers' payroll, rent and mortgage interest expenses will be forgiven, helping workers remain employed and small businesses, as well as the entire economy, to quickly bounce back when this is over. For those who have questions, the SBA has an informative page online at sba.gov, and the SBA in North Dakota is ready and available to assist. "Despite these efforts, unfortunately not all layoffs are preventable. For those who face unemployment or lowered income, the CARES Act provides federal assistance to bolster the unemployment insurance program run by Job Service ND. The temporary expansion of the program allows people who are self-employed, independent contractors, gig workers, and others to receive assistance. "The CARES Act also provides additional benefits to each recipient of unemployment insurance for up to four months and an additional 13 weeks of unemployment benefits after state benefits are no longer available. The CARES Act also authorized an additional $600 weekly federal unemployment payment through July. These benefits will help people to cover expenses during this unexpected lapse in employment. For those needing guidance, Job Service ND is ready and willing to assist. "Lastly, the CARES Act authorized immediate, direct help for American families. Soon, the Treasury Department will be sending out a one-time payment of $1,200 for individuals whose income was $75,000 or under. Couples earning up to $150,000 will receive $2,400. Single parents who make less than $112,500 are also eligible. Qualifying North Dakotans will also get an additional $500 for each of their children. The credit begins to phase out as your income increases, but any individual earning less than $99,000 or a couple making less than $198,000 will receive a payment. The payment is not taxable, and people with no income or whose only income is Social Security payments are also eligible. "This is just the topline of what the CARES Act contains, with increased benefits for veterans, agriculture and many others. As you apply to receive these benefits, do not hesitate to reach out to us and the relevant state and federal agencies. We stand ready to help you, the people of North Dakota, receive the assistance you need during this trying time."