April 3, 2021

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Dear Neighbor,

Yesterday was a very sad day on Capitol Hill with the tragic news that Capitol Police officer William F. Evans was attacked and killed while on duty. Another officer was injured. My thoughts are with their families and the entire Capitol community as we are still healing from the violence of January 6th. It has been an extremely difficult year for the US Capitol Police as they work to protect the members of Congress, staff, and employees who work on Capitol. Please keep them in your prayers.

We are already seeing some of the benefits of the American Rescue Plan here in California’s 44th District. Health centers that serve our district have been awarded more than $90 million to help expand access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Additionally, $12.7 billion in the American Rescue Plan funds Home and Community Based Services, allowing less-mobile people to receive in-home care and maintain independence. If you have a loved one that qualifies for a nursing home they may be eligible to receive the care in home. As group living facilities have been hard hit by COVID-19, this funding can help limit the spread of the virus and save lives. More information about in-home care services here. Help is already on the way for our community thanks to the American Rescue Plan!

In this newsletter you will find information on COVID vaccines, vaccine pop-ups, community resources, funding opportunities and updates from D.C.

Our vaccination capacity is expanding by leaps and bounds. President Biden announced that 90 percent of American adults will be vaccine-eligible and could soon access a vaccine site within 5 miles of their home. The president also committed to expanding mass vaccination centers across the nation and doubling the number of pharmacies administering the vaccine. 

However, though we're almost in the Orange Tier, we’re not out of this crisis yet. New variants of the virus that cause COVID-19 are emerging all over the world. Not every vaccine seems to work perfectly against every variant. More research still needs to be done. Even after you get your vaccine, remember it takes about two weeks for it to become effective, so please continue to follow CDC guidelines. Until we get the vast majority of the nation vaccinated, we all need to remain vigilant and patient. We’re almost there, so keep up the fight and stay safe!

LA County Vaccine Eligibility (Excluding the City of Long Beach)

All LA County residents age 50+ are now eligible for vaccination, and everyone age 16+ will be eligible beginning April 15, 2021. Make sure you get vaccinated as soon as you are eligible to help protect our community.

VaccinateLACounty.com and Myturn.ca.gov are the major online appointment hubs to look for and schedule appointments in LA County. If you are eligible for a vaccine, on Myturn.ca.gov you are now able to put in your address or ZIP code and it will tell you where the closet vaccination site is as well as appointment availability.

I understand finding a nearby vaccine site and navigating the appointment process has been a challenge for many in our community. To help ease the process, we have added a list of vaccination sites in our district to my website as well as phone numbers to call directly.

City of Long Beach Vaccine Eligibility

The following residents of Long Beach are currently eligible for vaccinations, subject to availability:

• Healthcare Workers
• Long-term Care Facility Residents and Staff
• 50+ Years of Age
• Government and Emergency Response Workers
• Education and Childcare Workers
• Food and Agriculture Workers
• Residents 16-49 Years of Age with Physical or Developmental Disabilities
• Janitorial and Custodial Services
• Residents 16-49 Years of Age with Underlying Medical Conditions

Vaccines for Veterans, Spouses, and Caregivers

As a result of President Biden signing the “SAVE LIVES Act” into law, the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System will soon be offering COVID-19 vaccines to all honorably discharged veterans (regardless of eligibility for VA healthcare), veteran spouses, and certain (eligible) caregivers. In order to help identify newly-eligible veterans and spouses, please register here.

The VA in Long Beach is also offering the COVID 19 Vaccine to the veterans that are enrolled in VA Health Care. More information here.

Pop Up Vaccination Events

Lynwood, April 9th and April 23rd

Lynwood City Hall (11330 Bullis Rd, Lynwood, 90262) is hosting a Johnson & Johnson vaccination clinic on April 9th and again on April 23rd. All members of the public who are eligible for vaccination on the day of the clinic can attend. NOTE: Johnson & Johnson is currently only being administered to those 18 and older. Only Pfizer is currently authorized for those 16 and older.

Watts Mobile Vaccine Event

There will be a mobile vaccine clinic in Watts on Tuesday, 4/6 - Saturday, 4/10. Priority will be given to individuals aged 50+ and individuals with transportation limitations. This event is for the Watts community. Everyone must be pre-registered. No Walk-ups. To register please call 310-732-4515. More information here.

Track Your Federal Direct Payment $$ 

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has opened an online tracking tool, Get My Payment, to check on the status of your federal relief payment provided through the American Rescue Plan. 

The IRS and Treasury Department announced that they anticipate payments will begin to be issued this weekend to Social Security recipients and other federal beneficiaries who do not normally file a tax return, with the projection that the majority of these payments would be sent electronically and received by April 7. 

CDC Eviction Moratorium extension

The CDC has extended the eviction moratorium until June 30, 2021. This effort to keep people housed is the right thing to do and another step to help stop COVID-19.

The American Rescue Plan provided billions in rent relief as a stopgap. Many cities throughout our district have begun or renewed rent relief programs. Please contact my office if you’d like additional information on a program near you.

Long Beach Emergency Rental Assistance Program

As the City of Long Beach moves closer to releasing applications for its rental assistance program, a website was launched this week to assist tenants and landlords with understanding the requirements of the program. Applications will become available during the week of April 12, 2021.

Grant Competitions for MBDA Export Centers

The Minority Business Development Administration (MBDA) is currently accepting proposals for the Export Project program, which provides technical assistance and business development services to minority-owned businesses. The MBDA anticipates awarding four organizations with 5-year funding terms beginning in July 2021. Small businesses, nonprofits, and local governments are invited to submit proposals by April 22nd. 

If your business or organization is submitting a proposal, please contact my office regarding a possible letter of support. 

FEMA Funeral and Burial Assistance

FEMA will soon start a program that will help pay for many of the costs from COVID-19 related deaths. The Funeral Assistance Program is anticipated to begin in early April nationwide.

FEMA will begin providing financial assistance for funeral expenses incurred after Jan. 20, 2020 for deaths related to coronavirus to help ease some of the financial stress and burden caused by the pandemic. Documentation will be required to apply, and we recommend you start gathering the needed documents now:

• An official death certificate that attributes the death to COVID-19 and shows that the death occurred in the United States. 
• Funeral expense documents (receipts, funeral home contract, etc.) 
• Proof of funds received from other sources

More information on how to apply and documentation requirements here.

LA vs. Hate: Stop Hate Against Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders

Senseless acts of hate have been directed towards the Asian American& Pacific Islander community since the beginning of the pandemic. Unfortunately, our AAPI community has had to deal with these hateful acts and words for far too long, and the last year has seen a marked increase due to hateful rhetoric driven by some elected officials, media, and social media. I stand unequivocally in support of the Asian American community in and around Los Angeles - and throughout the country.

You can report acts of hate, whether you were a victim or a witness with LA vs Hate or StopAAPIHate.org. Share a message of compassion and solidarity with your community using one of our digital GIFs. Visit lavshate.org/aapi for more information on how you can stand with us, united against hate.

President Biden’s proposed eight year, $2.7 trillion infrastructure plan was released on Wednesday. It would make unprecedented and generational investments in affordable housing, clean energy, strengthening the electric grid, broadband, repairing highways and bridges, transit, modernizing and greening our ports, renovating schools, and so much more. 

There is a lot to like about the President’s proposal. I look forward to digging into the details with my colleagues and working to ensure that our investments reach the scale needed to address the challenges our country faces, including on climate change. 

I have been calling for a green stimulus since last year and am part of the coalition supporting the THRIVE Act, which calls for an investment of $1 trillion a year this decade to address the climate crisis and environmental injustice, while investing 50 percent of the funds in frontline communities experiencing pollution from fossil fuels. I am hopeful we can continue to push to make this a transformational moment for our nation in the fight against the climate crisis.

In Community,