Rep. Gabbard and Lt. Gov. Green to Host Telephone Town Hall on COVID-19

Maui Now cover graphics. PC: Lt. Gov. Josh Green (left) by ‘A’ali’i Dukelow; and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (right) courtesy file photo.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) and Lt. Gov. Josh Green will host a live telephone town hall this afternoon to talk about the local and national response to the coronavirus.

Telephone Town Hall on Coronavirus
Wednesday, March 18, 4 to 5 p.m.
Call (888) 476-4187 To Participate

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Lt. Gov. Josh Green will provide updates from their respective areas of responsibility, share their thoughts on the local and national response to the coronavirus pandemic, and take questions live from callers. Lt. Gov. Green has lead the state’s response to coronavirus since the early days of the outbreak.

“Connecting the people of Hawaiʻi to the information they need is one of the most important jobs of government. Lt. Gov. Green and I look forward to speaking directly with residents, hearing their questions, and sharing the latest information we have,” said Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

To participate in this telephone town hall, call toll-free (888) 476-4187 at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 18.

Background: On behalf of the people of Hawaiʻi in Washington, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard voted 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. Tulsi 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. The Universal Basic Payment will be a temporary economic stimulus package to empower Americans directly and immediately.

She previously voted to pass legislation that will provide emergency funds to address the novel coronavirus. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has 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 can guarantee all passengers will 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.

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 Hawaiʻi State Legislature in 2002, becoming the youngest person ever elected in the state. Tulsi Gabbard has served in the Hawaiʻi 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…