4th District Congressman Jim Himes has been named to the Bipartisan Northeast Congressional COVID-19 Regional Recovery Taskforce. Long Island Republican Congressman Peter King is a co-chair.
The group will advise and coordinate how to best move states in the Northeast toward eventual reopening and preparation for future waves of COVID-19.
As some states throughout the nation have opened businesses in the past week, Himes supports a path that protects the long-term health of the population and economy. He understands that everyone wants to get back to work and resume a semblance of normalcy as soon as safely can be done, noting that the taskforce will lay the groundwork for how to do that responsibly.
In addition to advising on economic matters, the taskforce will also examine how the region can better prepare for subsequent waves of infection and protect our democratic institutions. Himes says the country can’t get caught flat-footed again. He called on officials to have enough personal protective equipment in the fall and ensure that November’s election doesn’t put voters at undue risk. The taskforce will be meeting on a weekly basis to stay ahead of the curve and seek out the best options.
Himes and King are joined on the taskforce by Reps. Mikie Sherrill (co-chair, D-N.J.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.), Dan Meuser (R-Pa.), Elise Stefanik (R-NY, and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.).
