news

Here is an update for May 6. 

Thought of the day: “The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.”  ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

It was good news to hear Beaumont Wayne County is reopening. Beaumont Health’s reopening of this hospital demonstrates their commitment to the community and is a symbol of some return to normal, with the return of medical services that many need. Thank you to the brave frontline workers who will be crucial in keeping its doors open during the days the hospital was designated a COVID-19 facility and kept the patients cared for, including cleaning crew, nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists and the entire team. Slowly hospital systems are returning to “normal” — medical care, cancer treatments and surgeries, other critical procedures are scheduling elective procedures. You should not ignore your current health needs in the midst of this.
 
Coronavirus has raised serious concerns for workers safety. We can't ask workers to make the impossible choice between missing work and potentially losing their job, or working in an unsafe environment. I am working everyday with workers, manufacturers, labor and employers focused on making workplaces safer when employees return and what that requires. Alongside Congressional Leadership and all other stake holders, we must make sure we get this right. Safety must come first. We also need to look at continue relief for small businesses. They are what makes Main Street run and they can’t be left behind.
 
The effects of the virus will ripple through our economy for a long time. However, we will never be able to rebound without the hardworking men and women of this country.
 
Today is National Nurses Day. Southeast Michigan has an incredible history of training and educating nurses to care for the public’s needs. In the past five years along, over 1,100 nurses have graduated from Henry Ford College Nursing Program and gone on to help those most in need. Today, 450 nurses are enrolled in the program and will be on the front lines soon to help us defeat this virus. If you know a nurse, reach out to them, let them know you care, and thank them for all they’re doing.
 
If you or anyone you know needs access to unemployment, please know you can file for it here. Now more than ever we must look out for those who have been impacted by this virus at no fault of their own.

Team Dingell is here seven days a week and wants to listen and help. It isn’t as smooth as we want on some issues, but we will never stop fighting for you. Call our office at 313-278-2936 or contact us through Facebook or our webpage.
 
New information becomes available every day. Below is a list of resources and information that can be helpful during this time. Please share this information with your family, friends, and colleagues. Remember, stay home, stay safe, save lives.

Coronavirus information

File for unemployment

Small Businesses can apply for low-interest disaster loans

Navigating Social Security Benefits
 
School Based Food Service Interactive Map
 
Food Banks and Kitchens in Michigan's 12th Congressional District
 
Contact numbers for people looking for information are:
• Centers for Disease Control, cdc.gov/coronavirus, 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636).
• Michigan.gov/coronavirus, or 888-535-6136.