Sign Alaska Banking Memorandum Of Understanding Fast

Industry sign banking alaska memorandum of understanding fast

Alaska insight is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and by viewers just like you thank you shutdowns at the state and national level have brought commerce to a near standstill throwing many Americans into financial uncertainty Congress responded with the biggest stimulus package in American history how will the cares act affect Alaskans US senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski join us to discuss the act tonight on Alaska insight [Music] good evening Congress has now passed three coronavirus response bills that President Trump has signed each bigger than the last the largest and most far-reaching is the coronavirus aid relief and Economic Security Act Alaska Public Media's Liz Ruskin looks at the 2.2 trillion dollar cares Act and what it will mean for Alaskans if you're a taxpayer the federal government is about to give you some dough you'll get $1,200 per adult and $500 per child assuming your annual pay is less than $75,000 per person the Treasury Department says the checks or direct deposits begin later this month and most people don't even have to apply these direct payments are probably the best known feature of the cares Act but a lot of the 2.2 trillion dollars in the bill is intended for small businesses the SBA has very low interest loans and grants intended to help employers keep paychecks flowing that's the Paycheck protection program and those loans you get at a bank but if you own a business or even if you're a landlord or self-employed you can also apply on the SBA website for an economic injury disaster loan and here's a tip be sure to apply for a loan advance SBA says it intends to make up to $10,000 available as a cash advance within three days of your application Alaska Small Business Development Center director John Bittinger says it's not really alone they call it a loan advance but basically it's you get it whether or not you get the loan and you don't have to pay it back the cares Act will also make direct payments to fishermen sand money to tribes and give the state of Alaska 1.25 billion dollars it's all a lot of money but the losses to Alaska and every state are staggering senator Lisa Murkowski says now's not the time to decide how to pay for all this government spending we will have opportunity when we get on the other side of this to again assess where we are assess how we move forward and and consider the the many alternatives or options that we may have but I think right now we're focused on the immediacy of the crisis and speaking of paying for government remember tax day April 15 not this year now you'll have until July 15 to file and pay your federal income tax reporting from Anchorage I'm Liz Ruskin joining me now by telephone from Washington DC our US senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski senators thanks for being with us thank you Laurie thank you thank you Laurie senator Murkowski when you and Senator Sullivan were on talked of Alaska earlier this week you mentioned you would have a briefing with dr. Anthony Fauci on Thursday morning did this happen and if so what did you learn yes Republican members of the Senate were able to be on the phone for about an hour hour and a half with both doctor pouchy and Treasury secretary Newton I think it was important to hear very clearly from from dr. Falchi on on the numbers that we are seeing across country I think we were all very very surprised earlier this week to to see the prediction of millions of deaths even with mitigation you kind of walked us through that model but most most of our discussion was really focused on where we are with access to rapid testing because I think we all recognize that as we are as we're dealing with the impact of this virus there is there's there's no real way to get quote back to work if you don't have some assurance that that you don't have a virus and so how we can do a better job of testing or rapidly more available but also a great deal of discussion about the ability to access supplies the PPE that are such critical demand he acknowledged that our our national stockpile right now is tap and so how we address the immediacy of the needs right now is much of what we heard with dr. Fatih this morning well senator Sullivan pick it up there as Senator Murkowski said the concern over testing we're learning more all the time about the fact that people that may not exhibit any symptoms at all could be passing the illness to others who will get sick what can you fine-tune what you heard about when we may expect that there will be enough tests that all who need to be tested will be able to be well that's certainly the goal Laurie and to add on what the senator Murkowski just mentioned you know I thought the doctor faustus house key meeting was very informative the one that one of the issues that I raised was the challenges that we have in rural communities with our Alaska native population how big the state is the one thing that he emphasized and he emphasized a lot he doesn't in his press conferences is the most immediate the most imperative thing we can do whether you're in rural Alaska in Anchorage in New York City is to keep this physical separation going you said it is the most important powerful tool we have in America and I think that that's a message that I wanted to be sure that we delivered from that briefing that Senator Murkowski just mentioned we are all focused on testing the issue came up again today in the brief several times I think what is happening is that the federal government has moved from the CDC as an area of focus which up for the challenge to be perfectly honest to the private sector and even today there are these fda-approved tests that are starting to be distributed throughout our country I had the opportunity to communicate with the chairman of Abbott Labs just this morning explaining the situation in Alaska and our need for these tests and I think that that goes to a broader component of what we're trying to do with as the congressional delegation with the governor and his team with anthc with our Alaska Native Health Organization's we are literally pulling on every lever federal agencies private sector to get these tests and the other equipment that we need to our state so we're going to continue to do that what I called earlier one team one fight that's a Marine Corps saying but it's the state the congressional delegation the private sector our tribes and other elected leaders and that's what we're doing what's in the cares Act to deal with supplies of critical need beyond testing the need for masks and and and other equipment there are export bans of critical medical gear marketplace reported this week that Taiwan and Korea have banned exports they did that very quickly France is not allowing an order to go to Britain Germany intercepted a shipment that was from headed from China toward Switzerland there have been 46 export bans put ANCOVA 19 related gear in place 33 in march alone money is a great tool but if manufacturers can't get the keep up with the demand or for ventilators amass another gear what's the answer here what's being done to address that issue well I I really think this is an all-hands-on-deck I'm just looking to this to the FEMA advisory from from yesterday talking about FEMA coordinating air bridge from four flights from Asia beginning on son last Sunday delivered 80 tons of BP's to to New York New Jersey Connecticut you ask what what was done in tears I think it's important that it was not only in the cares Act but in the first emergency supplemental that we pushed out door some pretty pretty substantial resources to be directed towards not only working towards the research in vaccine and for treatment but also for the medical supplies that was in that first that first supplemental and then in the cares Act there is there is a hundred and fifty billion dollars that goes towards towards hospitals and community hospitals a real plus of a real surge on the hospital side and contained within that again are our substantial resources to do just exactly this is to get these materials our problem that we're we are realizing is when we have gotten to a pre comfortable place where we just used to having others manufacture for us some of these materials that we're now looking at and are saying critical we realize that we've got a vulnerability within our own supply chain so the efforts that many have made to retool whether it is an auto manufacturer now making ventilators using the defense production act to to direct that these supplies will be made available this is really all hands on deck and in following up here senator Murkowski you said earlier this week on talk of Alaska that in a potential forth relief package the uninsured expense for hospitalizations may have to be considered are you considering is Congress considering opening an enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act there are millions out of work right now I that is something that is under discussion absolutely and and I again I think right now what we're dealing with with cares is this is kind of the the the the quick stabilization but we're going to have a recovery process after this and so exact timing on when we may move forward remains unknown we're still still working to see how much of what we put in place is going to respond to not only that immediate need but the interim as well but I think the issues that you raised about about health cost health care costs due to de Cove in nineteen these are things that we're going to be dealing with and to follow up here yes the elements of the cares a crowded is to get employers to stay connected with their employees to keep them on the payroll so even if employees have been already laid off they can be rehired under the Paycheck protection program or some of the other programs in the cares Act with the goal of course if you're rehired then you are now getting insurance through your employees and through your employer that's where so many people who have become unemployed or have lost their health insurance and so when we look when we look at that that's one important aspect of the overall bill from an economic side but from a health side and then to answer your your question previously another thing that we're definitely I think should be looking at I've been talking to a number of senators once we get through this and we look at a phase four package that's more about recovery I think there is a strong bipartisan support and movement to look at legislation to bring our key supply chains and manufacturing back home not keeping all our pharmaceuticals being manufactured in China or all our key medical equipment manufactured in China I think there'll be a strong push a bipartisan to do that and I think that'll be important and to follow up on the the idea of people being rehired having insurance there are tens of thousands of Americans being admitted to hospitals and and ers I see use ringing up enormous bills of the patients who are insured if their insurance companies have to pay isn't this going to cost so much that everyone's premiums are going to skyrocket in the future there's an analysis out by a California insurance marketplace organization that predicts premiums could jump as much as forty percent next year forcing more people out of coverage what's the answer to head that off if you have the answer give us draft legislation on it I mean III don't mean to make light of the questions but I think it speaks to to so many of the unknowns and the uncertainties that we're dealing with right now we we we can kind of look to two models that are out there but again I think we are still trying to understand and comprehend what it is that we have in front of us right now but trying to divine divine solutions at this point in time I think we're all we're all just trying to figure it out together mm-hmm I certainly understand that Senator Murkowski senator Sullivan you're on the Armed Services Committee there are two Naval Hospital vessels now off the coast of California in New York are there other military medical supplies that can be sent to civilian hospitals and clinics and is that being looked into right now yes and Laurie much closer to home I had a good briefing from senior Pentagon officials yesterday and then a a really good meeting with general busi a who's the outcome all comm commanders of the three-star general at Jay Baer and charge of all of our forces what we were working on with them is a Memorandum of Understanding that they have with the Alaska Native Tribal Health consortium to do exactly what you just said in times of emergency crisis in terms of a medical emergency the active duty forces this is different from our National Guard's the active duty forces can play an important role in Alaska with regard to equipment with regard to personnel with regard to possibly hospital beds they do have some supplies so we were strongly encouraging both anthc and our active duty military to activate that Memorandum of Understanding to get our state more access to the active duty supplies and equipment and personnel that they have fortunately our leadership in terms of the military jay baer is very supportive of doing this I think it's going to bring more resources to our state what I'm trying to do is make sure that as the Pentagon looks around the country in the globe that they don't take units like the Medical Air Force and army units in Alaska and deploy them elsewhere we want those units staying with us helping us and right now that's starting to happen and that's something that's very positive for the state and our citizens and and what do you see the the role of the National Guard they're already preparing to assist talk a little about what that assistance will look like in the state and especially for rural Alaska communities both the National Guard and is there a role here for the Coast Guard to play as well yeah I certainly believe there is the governor has to activate the National Guard right that's under his authority what I was talking about earlier were the active duty DoD military members they can vote and should both and I think will be both playing a very important role including our Coast Guard the secretary defense the president has made it clear that the top mission for the United States military now is turning to helping our own citizens and of course our Guardsmen do such a great job with regard to natural disasters in helping our citizens so when they are called up they'll be under the governor in the emergency and FEMA's authority but coordinating the guard in active duty forces is going to bring us a lot more resources personnel to help us our state through this crisis do either of you have concern about social unrest as this thing grinds on recent polls by Reuters and PBS and Pew have found that 80% of people are worried about the spread of the virus and 84 percent are worried about the collapse of the economy if utility systems start to break down because workers are sick and there are communities that no longer have power or running water what what's being discussed in that realm at the federal government level will you have to stand up more of a FEMA type management system if something like that starts to happen I think we need to be prepared for that and you know right now you have you have the utilities for instance that are putting together their their own plans as to how they can continue safe operations well well being in situations where they're not able to have that the distancing that they need and so some some pretty unique situation specific how they can continue their operations but if if it continues you do you do see that that that breakdown is you've called it we may need the different different oversight there that would be far beyond what we would imagine how our utility would operate whether that is FEMA coming in whether it is it is utilizing as dan has outlined this that you have three or four your guards unit but you mentioned the the social issues we have not discussed but I think we're going to be forced to reckon if the fact that as we see these these health challenges and stressors and economic stressors we will also see levels of unrest that manifests themselves in domestic violence in increased suicide ates and increased rates of substance abuse issues I think that that is something that we see unfortunately following most disasters and my fear is that this one is it's going to be a disaster of such proportion that the social consensus that we see in the aftermath be very very challenging and is that something that you are looking at now in potential next iteration of relief legislation that will look specifically at domestic violence family violence people are cooped up they're not able to get out to do anything their children are out of school they don't have work that and as you mentioned concern over suicide rates is that being looked at and discussed in Congress right now for how to even attempt to address that we are working with several members of the Senate right now on exactly this we are gathering the information working with different agencies develops out language and and draft legislation so we're not wasting any time on it Laurie I would want to add on two points cares does have fifty million dollars to support shelters which unfortunately is needed and needed a lot in our state in to your earlier question on social unrest you know of course that's always something people need to keep in the back of their minds but I would say right now what we're seeing in Alaska and in America is a tremendous amount of self sacrifice self-discipline and everybody playing their role in people helping each other out oh you know we have a strong Society in our state and throughout our nation and I think right now in many ways we're seeing the best of Alaskans in the best of American mm-hmm I we only have a couple of minutes left and my last question to both of you is as you're well aware the daily pandemic news is very grim the rising number of infections and deaths the fears about how many may die whether people agree with federal spending or not right now big government is really needed what words would you offer to Alaskans to give them some hope that political leaders really have their back I think just seeing how these measures have passed the Congress and now I signed into law well well there may be some strong debate that goes back and forth on the floor the the outcome of these measures has been overwhelming and it's in its support representing a bipartisan approach urban and-and-and rural states this is not something that she's divided along party lines and and and to the governor to his credit being together his economic stabilization in co-led by a former Republican governor and a former Democrat senator this is a signal to us all that this is not about party politics this is not about election Thank You senator we'll have to leave it there senator Sullivan I'm sorry that we didn't have enough time to get your thoughts on that we'll come back to this and have you both on again I'm or in the very near future even with trillions in federal spending our country and our state are in for a rough ride for months to come but Alaskans know how to face adversity and tough times and help each other through a crisis between the fear of catching the virus and the fear of a failing economy and job loss our current situation is overwhelming so plan as much as you can for your family's needs and future but don't let your mind get too far into the what-ifs take it a day at a time and reach out when you need to there is help available and Alaskans who stand ready to pitch in that's it for this edition of Alaska insight we'll be back next Friday right after Washington week you can find past episodes of the show and related content at our website Alaska public org slash Alaska insight thanks for joining us this evening I'm Laurie Townsend good night [Music] [Music]