A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee recently determined that phenylephrine, an ingredient commonly used to treat sinus and nasal congestion, is ineffective in treating these symptoms. This was apparent from research for years, yet large...
News
Latest News
Rubio Habla en La Poderosa
El senador estadounidense Marco Rubio (R-FL) habló con César Grajales de La Poderosa 670 AM en El Panorama Político, sobre la crisis fronteriza, sobre cómo los hispanoamericanos se ven afectados con la realidad del país, sobre los cargos contra el senador Bob Menéndez...
Rubio, Colleagues Reintroduce Bill to Protect Rights of Pregnant Students
Pregnant students are sometimes discriminated against by their schools, either intentionally or unintentionally and there is a concerning lack of awareness about the resources and rights available to them. Due to a lack of services and discrimination, these women may...
Rubio, Colleagues Reintroduce Intelligence Community Workforce Agility Protection Act
Currently, intelligence community civilians are subject to certain tax penalties for job-related relocation requirements, but active-duty military servicemembers are not subjected to the same penalties. These tax benefits, including the ability to deduct moving...
Rubio Delivers Remarks at Senate Intelligence Hearing
Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Marco Rubio (R-FL) delivered opening remarks and questioned witnesses at a hearing on countering China’s influence in the United States. Watch Rubio’s opening remarks here as well as Part I and Part II of...
Rubio-led Resolution to Raise Awareness for Spinal Cord Injuries Passes Senate
Approximately 302,000 Americans live with spinal cord injuries. To help these people achieve a better quality of life, there is a need to increase education and invest in research. U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) successfully led a bipartisan...
Rubio, Cardin Urge SBA to Prepare Small Businesses for Coronavirus
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, sent a letter to Jovita Carranza, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), requesting information on the agency’s plan to ensure small businesses are prepared to respond to potential disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
“As the situation continues to evolve, it is becoming clear that the threat of widespread transmission of COVID-19 could have severe economic impacts on small businesses and the U.S. economy as a whole,” the senators wrote. “For this reason, we urge you to take immediate action to ensure that small businesses and their employees are equipped to prepare for, and respond to, the anticipated spread of COVID-19 in order to reduce both short-term and long-term disruptions.”
The full text of the letter is below.
Dear Administrator Carranza:
In light of recent developments, we are writing to express our concern about the potential impact that the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) could have on U.S. small businesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), COVID-19 has now been detected in 37 locations internationally, including the U.S. The CDC anticipates that more cases in the United States are likely to be identified in the coming days and person-to-person spread will likely continue to occur. As the situation continues to evolve, it is becoming clear that the threat of widespread transmission of COVID-19 could have severe economic impacts on small businesses and the U.S. economy as a whole.
For this reason, we urge you to take immediate action to ensure that small businesses and their employees are equipped to prepare for, and respond to, the anticipated spread of COVID-19 in order to reduce both short-term and long-term disruptions. Additionally, we formally request a senior-level staff briefing from SBA no later than Wednesday, March 4, 2020 to provide our offices with answers to the following questions:
- What specific actions has the SBA taken to ensure small businesses are prepared to respond to potential disruptions caused by COVID-19?
- What is the SBA doing to coordinate with other agencies, like the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Homeland Security, to prepare small businesses and employees to protect employee health and safety?
- What outreach has the SBA conducted to small businesses regarding COVID-19?
- What administrative actions does the SBA expect to take to reduce the burden that COVID-19 could have on small businesses and the overall U.S. economy?
- Is the SBA considering global supply chain issues in this process?
- What additional resources and/or direction from Congress does SBA need to assist in the agency’s response to the potential impact of COVID-19?
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We look forward to your prompt response on the agency’s efforts to ensure small businesses are prepared for this emerging public health threat.
Sincerely,