Federal assistance after last summer’s storms

You may have seen U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra was in our district last week discussing important prescription drug provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act. Before that press conference, though, we had a few meetings I want to tell you about.

I invited Secretary Becerra to our 7th Congressional District because of your calls, emails and letters surrounding high prescription prices, drug shortages and maternal health disparities. It’s important for federal officials to see firsthand the issues that affect Michiganders in their daily lives.

First, we met with local hospital leaders, so Secretary Becerra could hear directly from them about the issues they’re facing.  Our first priority was the ongoing shortage of lifesaving cancer drugs that has forced our hospitals in Michigan to ration care. This crisis has shown once again that maintaining a sufficient supply of pharmaceuticals is critical for not just patients, but for our national security.  This issue of supply-chains for critical items has become a bit of an obsession of mine since shortages upended our economy during the pandemic.  It’s why I co-founded the bipartisan Domestic Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Caucus and have introduced legislation, like the Ensuring Access to Lifesaving Drugs Act, to keep vital medicines on pharmacy shelves.

In our second meeting with Secretary Becerra, we met with advocates and talked about the issue of black maternal health.  Today, Black & Native American women are three to four times more likely to die from complications surrounding pregnancy & childbirth than white women. Our meeting allowed Secretary Becerra to learn about the systemic & financial challenges faced by those who’ve been in the trenches on this issue. Thank you to the doctors, midwives, doulas, & public health & nonprofit leaders who provided ways to address this issue at the federal level.

Finally, we held a press conference on the Inflation Reduction Act.  This bill sends a really clear signal to the rest of the prescription drug world that the day where you can just charge whatever you want — where there’s no transparency on the price of medication — is an era that’s coming to an end.

I am thankful to all those who helped us have a productive day discussing federal solutions that would help Michiganders.

Rep. Slotkin

As you may have heard, President Biden recently approved Michigan’s request for a disaster declaration following the storms that rolled through our state last year from August 24-26.

As a result, if you live in or own a business in one of the affected communities and you sustained damage from the tornadoes, severe storms, and flooding, you can now apply for disaster assistance funds from FEMA or low-interest loans from the Small Business Administration. Below are details on how to make those requests.

The affected counties in the 7th District are Eaton, Ingham, Livingston, and Oakland. And if you have family or friends in Wayne, Ionia, Kent, Macomb, or Monroe counties who were affected by those storms, this information applies to them as well.

To start the application process, you can either log on to FEMA’s website, download the FEMA app, or call the FEMA Helpline at (800) 621-3362.

You will need to have the following information ready:

• A current phone number where you can be contacted.
• Your address at the time of the disaster and your current address.
• Your Social Security Number.
• A general list of damage and losses.
• Banking information if you choose direct deposit for any federal relief money you receive.
• Your insurance policy number (if you have one) or your agent and/or the company name.

Even if you’ve already made repairs to your property, you should still apply – just be prepared to show repair receipts, photos and any other disaster-related documentation. FEMA will soon have recovery teams on the ground in affected neighborhoods, and they’ll also be setting up centers to provide in-person help. You can stay on top of that effort HERE.

Business owners and non-profits who suffered damages may be eligible for low-interest disaster loans from the Small Business Association. Under the terms, organizations of any size may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

You can find out more about applying by visiting the SBA website, by calling the Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955, or by emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. For in-person assistance, the SBA has set up a Business Recovery Center at the Ellis Library Center at 3700 S. Custer Road in Monroe, MI.

As we work to recover from last summer’s storms, these federal resources will help ensure that we rebuild stronger and we hope you can take advantage of them.

– Office of Rep. Elissa Slotkin