Metzger launches online series, Delgado urges IRS relief and more

Delgado, Katko call on IRS to immediately distribute payments

RHINEBCK, NY — U.S. Representatives Antonio Delgado (NY-19) and John Katko (NY-24) on April 27 led a bipartisan effort to restore Internal Revenue Service (IRS) customer service operations and ensure Economic Impact Payments (EIPs), administered by the IRS, are efficiently distributed to working families who have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Authorized under the bipartisan Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, EIPs were designed to provide direct and immediate relief to working families. However, individuals and families across New York State remain confused and frustrated with the current IRS processes in place, with many experiencing difficulties finding reliable information on the status of their EIPs and tax returns. Currently, IRS telephone service lines and other traditional avenues for assistance are unavailable due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To address these concerns, Delgado and Katko urged the IRS to take additional steps to provide direct customer service to taxpayers and ensure Americans receive the relief they have been promised and have access to support.

PA construction to resume May 1, week earlier than planned

HARRISBURG, PA — All businesses in the construction industry in the commonwealth are permitted to resume in-person operations starting Friday, May 1, one week earlier than previously announced.

Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine had ordered most construction projects to cease unless they were supporting life-sustaining businesses or activities or were granted an exemption to perform or support life-sustaining activities.

All business and employees in the construction industry must adhere to the Secretary of Health’s order providing for business safety measures, which requires that every person present at a work site wear masks/face coverings unless they are unable for medical or safety reasons and requires that businesses establish protocols upon discovery that the business has been exposed to a person who is a probable or confirmed case of COVID-19.

PA Democrats introduce health insurance bills

HARRISBURG, PA — House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody issued the following statement on the House Insurance Committee taking up key bills sponsored by Democrats to protect health insurance coverage:

“Imagine a world where surviving COVID-19 meant your insurance company could drop you for having a pre-existing condition.

“As attacks on the Affordable Care Act continue at the federal level from special interests and President Trump, PA House Democrats have fought for a vote on several bills that make sure healthcare protections remain for all Pennsylvanians.

“Because of our efforts, the House Insurance Committee has now scheduled these bills for consideration on April 27 and we will not stop until they are signed by the governor. 

“We can’t return to the days when you could be turned down for coverage, not covered at all, or forced to pay out of pocket for skyrocketing prescription drug prices.

“So far, more than 40,000 people in our Commonwealth have contracted COVID-19. A COVID-19 diagnosis is a pre-existing condition. Without the ACA, anybody receiving this diagnosis can be denied coverage and prevented from getting the affordable care they need. 

Metzger launches online COVID-19 series

HUDSON VALLEY AND CATSKILLS, NY — Sen. Jen Metzger (SD-42) will host a COVID-19 online series featuring local experts knowledgeable on selected topics important to Hudson Valley and Catskill communities. Half-hour-long digital episodes will be live-streamed on Metzger’s Facebook page twice-weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5 p.m. for the next four consecutive weeks, and will include a Q&A with participating viewers facilitated by the senator. The series kicks off on Tuesday, April 28, with guest Kenneth Steier, Executive Dean of Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine.

“A wide range of important topics and issues have come up in my conversations with constituents during this public health crisis that really merit a deeper dive,” said Metzger. “This online conversation series is a great opportunity for our residents to hear from experts in our region and get useful guidance during this challenging time.”