On March 18th the Families First Coronavirus Response Act was passed into law, giving Governor Abbott the power to opt-in and use federal funds to expand access to free Covid-19 testing. We urge Governor Abbott and other state leadership to maximize federal dollars allowing us to provide free Covid 19 testing across the state. Free testing must include all of the uninsured and the undocumented.

South Texas has some of the highest rates of people who are uninsured-making us especially vulnerable to the Covid 19 crisis. This is why we need to expand Medicaid immediately. Experts have presented that Medicaid Expansion in Texas would provide healthcare to 1.5 million uninsured Texans. Millions of Texans will stop working because of Covid-19, and many will lose their healthcare linked to employment. I urge Governor Abbott and Texas leadership to immediately expand Medicaid to millions of vulnerable Texans.

Women reproductive services must be protected, especially during a crisis like Covid-19. I reject efforts from Governor Abbott and other state officials in attempting to ban abortion and reproductive health services during the crisis.

An unprecedented 10 million Americans have filed for unemployment in the last few weeks, and millions more are underemployed- working less hours. We urge Congress to expand paid medical and sick leave to all workers, provide grants to businesses to keep workers on payroll, and expand unemployment insurance beyond 4 months.

At the state level, I ask Governor Abbott to drop his ongoing lawsuit against paid sick leave. If there was ever a time for Governor Abbot and other state leaders to show true leadership, its in allowing individual municipalities to enact paid sick leave.

I also urge Congress and State leaders to protect those working in the frontlines such as nurses, farmworkers, truck drivers, postal workers, warehouse workers, paramedics, grocery store workers, state workers, municipal workers and all other frontline essential workers by providing all of them safe working conditions, and hazard pay.

SNAP and WIC benefits should be expanded to a growing number of economically vulnerable Texans. I support increased funding for non-profits like the Food Bank who are in the frontlines of battling hunger.

I also urge our state and federal leaders to help deliver meals to the elderly, disabled, and sick. Several organizations and independent groups have stepped up and provided assistance to people who cannot leave their home by delivering food and other essential needs. Investment from state and federal leaders in food and essential delivery can help guarantee that some of our most vulnerable are taken care of.

As school districts have closed, they continue to provide school meals to all students. School workers providing school meals should be fully protected, and schools should only require parents to pick up meals due to CDC social distancing recommendations.

I urge all residents to abide by the Stay-At-Home orders put in place by our counties and State. The best way to reduce the threat of Covid-19 is by staying at home, and not risk in further spreading the virus.

If you are conducting essential business, please be extra cautious by following the social distance rules. If available to you, wear gloves and a mask to more securely avoid contacting the virus. Learn more at  https://promotecarepreventharm.org/  . Also be sure to follow CDC guidelines at  https://www.cdc.gov/

There is a massive student loan crisis already happening in the U.S with a total of $1.6 trillion in student debt. Covid-19 will only grow the student debt crisis, unless we act now. This is why I urge our federal representatives to cancel all student loan payments until the crisis is lifted.  

We must place moratoriums on evictions, utilities, and foreclosures. We should also suspend rent, mortgage payments, and debt collection until the crisis is lifted.

Free internet access needs to be expanded to all students from all grade levels.

I support efforts from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus urging the Department of Homeland Security to release detainees in efforts to prevent a virus outbreak inside the detention centers. The Department of Homeland Security has the authority to grant parole- and I urge them to use this power in releasing vulnerable detainees, and reducing the risk of an outbreak inside the detention centers.