Congressional Update from Congressman Andy Barr

Recently, I visited Estill and Powell Counties to see the damages caused by flooding.

Eastern Kentucky Flood Update

My prayers are with residents in the Sixth District and throughout Kentucky battling damaging floods.  Kentucky Counties impacted by flooding are currently in the process of assessing damages from the flooding.  Once they complete their assessment, Governor Beshear can request a federal disaster designation from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  I will support that request once it is made by Governor Beshear.

This disaster declaration would trigger federal resources for impacted areas and support in the recovery.  In the meantime, my office will continue working with local leaders and be available for Kentuckians who need help.  I also want to thank all first responders currently providing assistance to Kentuckians on the frontlines. 

The most important thing you can do if you have been affected by flooding is document the damages through your local emergency management agency.  A full list of these local agencies, as well as instructions on how to report damages can be found by clicking here.  

Taking on Corporate Cancel Culture

On Wednesday, I introduced the Fair Access to Banking Act in the House.  At a time where left-wing cancel culture has run rampant, activists want to weaponize financial regulators and banks to carry out their political agenda.  Access to capital should not be politicized, banks should make lending decisions relying on objective, risk-based metrics, not the standards of "woke" corporate cancel culture.  Over the last several years we have witnessed banks publicly commit not to do business with certain legal companies in politically unpopular industries. These decisions were not based on the creditworthiness of the borrowers. They were based purely on politics.

My bill codifies the Fair Access Rule to ensure radical, political activists cannot weaponize our financial institutions in their fight to advance their own agenda.  Our nation needs a fair and independent financial sector that should not be bullied into conforming to politics. 

Speaker Pelosi Disguises a Payoff to Progressives as "COVID-19 Relief"

Last week, House Democrats finalized the passage of Speaker Pelosi's "COVID-19 relief" bill.  With interest, this spending spree will cost taxpayers over $2 trillion, only 10 percent of which is actually related to COVID-19; the rest of it is a payoff to progressives.  The American people want to safely reopen schools, businesses and go back to work.  Instead, Congressional Democrats are incentivizing their failed lockdown policies.  For example, $350 billion in this bill is for bailing out mismanaged state and local governments.  This funding will be largely distributed based on statewide unemployment rates, rewarding states like New York and California for endless lockdowns that crushed small businesses and skyrocketed unemployment in their states.    

Additionally, Congressional Democrats provided a no-strings-attached $129 billion handout to school districts that are largely or entirely offering ineffective virtual education to America’s children.  Despite constant lectures from Democrats to “follow the science,” they ignore overwhelming scientific evidence from studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Academy of Pediatrics concluding that children can safely return to the classroom.  It is shameful that Democrats have shelled out almost $250 billion to schools without any stipulation that they reopen for in-person learning as the education of millions of American children suffers because of virtual learning.

I voted no on this totally reckless, hyper-partisan, payoff to progressives and liberal special interests and will continue to fight for commonsense policy that actually benefits Americans.   

Sincerely,

Congressman Andy Barr