Weekly Columns

Although there is broad bipartisan agreement in Congress that additional coronavirus relief is needed, I regret that the status of delivering relief hasn't changed a lot since May. It's even more disappointing since lawmakers already agree on how to approach several aspects of needed relief.

Throughout most of this year, the coronavirus pandemic has greatly disrupted our lives and dealt harsh hits to our economy out of nowhere. Sadly, some of the most ruthless economic hits have been felt by America's small businesses. While the federal government has done a lot already to help save and sustain struggling small businesses and their workers, there is more that could be done if Speaker Nancy Pelosi would allow the U.S. House of Representatives to vote on a simple and commonsense piece of legislation related to the Paycheck Protection Program.

With numerous topics dominating the news cycle this year, I wanted to make sure you didn't miss an historic event that took place last week related to peace and security in the Middle East. While the area is often known for its unrest, the Trump Administration has never given up on fostering peace and bringing greater stability to the region. Indeed, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have made it a priority to encourage the normalization of nation-to-nation relationships involving Israel, one of our greatest allies and most faithful friends.

Over the last several months, the coronavirus pandemic has wreaked unprecedented havoc on the world. Indeed, no country has been spared from the ugly wrath inflicted by this mysterious and deadly invisible enemy. In response to this common adversary, the world's best scientists and researchers, for the first time in decades, are all laser focused on solving the same problem: finding a cure and discovering a vaccine for COVID-19. Amid this race, the United States is rapidly covering ground and running lengths ahead of the rest of the world.

Every year, on the first Monday in September, most Americans take an extra day to relax, travel or spend time with their family, friends and loved ones. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, however, this Labor Day will be observed differently than usual. By no fault or choice of their own, many hardworking Americans have fallen on difficult times and are out of work. During these unprecedented circumstances, I encourage you to remember that these dark days are only temporary. Indeed, our country has proven its strength, tenacity and resilience time and again throughout our history.

The month of September marks National Literacy Month, which importantly draws attention to the foundational role of literacy in fostering a lifelong love for learning, supporting a quality education and ultimately opening more doors of opportunity for success.

In recent weeks, concerns surrounding operations of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) have frequented the news cycle and been shared widely across social media. However, I want to caution you not to believe everything you hear or read on the subject, as there is a lot of deceiving and misleading information swirling around.

Amid the multitude of hardships caused by the coronavirus pandemic, it is very important to keep in mind that bad actors are out there looking to take advantage of vulnerable targets during this unprecedented crisis. While numerous schemes exist to scam personal and financial information, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has warned taxpayers to look out for fraudulent attempts related to coronavirus relief provided by the federal government.