In The News
Omaha World-Herald: Fortenberry seeks emergency funding to keep immigration workers from being furloughed
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump was clear about one thing last week: He really, really wants the nation’s schoolchildren back in classrooms this fall.
Trump went after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for what he described as “very tough and expensive guidelines” to schools for opening in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“While they want them open, they are asking schools to do very impractical things,” Trump tweeted. “I will be meeting with them!!!”
Policymakers across the board are struggling to navigate a resurgent virus that still presents many unknowns.
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., hosted a teleconference last week during which Nebraskans could pose questions to Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.
The public health expert expressed support for reopening schools but only with precautions and taking into account the situation in their specific community.
The virus has affected just about all aspects of American life, including the every-four-years presidential nominating conventions.
Both Democrats and Republicans are scrambling to make last-minute changes to their gatherings next month. Republicans have moved the main part of their festivities to Jacksonville, Florida, while Democrats are going with a largely virtual convention.
In other news:
Furloughs are coming
Federal immigration services workers in Nebraska are looking at 30-90 day furloughs starting in August.
Fortenberry has backed legislation providing $1.2 billion in emergency money to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which he said has a “quiet but important presence” in Lincoln.
“Hundreds of its hardworking employees, through no fault of their own, received notices of possible furlough due to coronavirus,” Fortenberry said. “We’re working on a bipartisan solution to fix the problem.”
The agency says the furloughs are necessary because of a drop in the application fees that fund the agency. It says that drop is the result of virus-related restrictions on in-person services, but some immigration advocates have suggested that it reflects the Trump administration’s more restrictive immigration policies.
Erik Omar, executive director of the Omaha-based Immigrant Legal Center, said in a statement that the emergency funding is important to keep services available but that lawmakers should be aware of why the shortfall occurred.
“Congress can create a more sustainable future for USCIS only by passing comprehensive immigration reform that restores, expands and protects access to lawful immigration benefits,” he said.
Bringing supply chain home
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, says the ongoing pandemic has alerted Americans to the weak link in its supply chain — China.
The United States particularly needs to address its dependence on China for personal protective equipment, prescription drugs and other medical supplies, Ernst said in a statement.
Past efforts to shift supply chains out of China and back to America have had limited success, but Ernst highlighted legislation that would waive tax penalties for manufacturing and medical supply companies that move to the U.S.
Ernst said China is stealing sensitive secrets and avoiding its responsibility for the spread of coronavirus.
“Why then, would we reward them by manufacturing medical supplies and defense materials in their country, only to boost their economy at our expense?” Ernst said.