Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), the Vice Chair of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC), released a report that explains why Black, Latino and low-income communities are disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus.

As the report shows, Black, Latino and low-income Americans are more likely to have pre-existing conditions such as hypertension, chronic lung disease, diabetes and heart disease—a CDC report found that nine of 10 Americans hospitalized for coronavirus had these health conditions. In addition, they are more likely to do person-to-person work in the service industry—often without benefits like paid sick leave, health insurance and the flexibility to work from home.

Black, Latino and low-income Americans are also more likely to suffer economic impacts from the recession caused by coronavirus because they historically experience higher unemployment rates, lower income and much less wealth.

“As a result of a corrosive cocktail of systemic inequalities, tens of thousands of people across the country are more likely to die from the coronavirus because of who they are, what they do and where they live,” Congressman Beyer said.

“Not everyone has a job that will allow them to work from home and those that do not are disproportionately low-income and people of color,” Congressman Beyer said. “Public-sector jobs that have been pathways to the middle class for so many black families—essential jobs to keep society running—are now risky. I keep thinking about the black bus driver in Detroit who, like so many of those in the service industry, was torn between a paycheck and protecting his health—a few weeks after complaining about the lack of health protections on his bus he died of coronavirus.”

Congressman Beyer added, “As Congress thinks through how to help the nation respond and recover from the coronavirus, it is important that we remember that race neutral programs and policies do not always have race neutral impacts. We saw this play out with some of the small business programs that were included in previous legislative responses to the coronavirus—even though they are eligible, small-business owners of color are having a harder time accessing federal loans through their local banks. I am pleased that in the bill passed yesterday we improved access by ensuring more funds are available to minority-owned businesses.”

One of the communities hardest hit by the coronavirus is the Black community. A CDC study of coronavirus hospitalization in March across 14 states showed that 33% of admitted patients were Black, despite Blacks making up just 18% of that study’s population. In Louisiana and Chicago, 70% of people who have died from coronavirus have been Black, despite Black Americans making up just one-third of the population in both places. In Washington, D.C., 81% of the people who have died from the coronavirus have been Black, despite Black Americans making up 46% of the population. Nationally, 24% of Black Americans and Latinos work in the service industry compared to 16% of Whites.

In addition to Black, Latino and low-income communities, the report shows the disproportionate impact the coronavirus is having on the Native American communities. Though national level statistics are scarce, available data show the Navajo Nation has seen the highest number of confirmed cases (1,360) and deaths (52) thus far . In New Mexico, Native Americans make up 11% of the population and 37% of those confirmed with coronavirus.

About Congressman Beyer

Congressman Beyer is currently serving his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Northern Virginia suburbs of the nation’s capital. In addition to his role as Vice Chair of the JEC, Beyer serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means and the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. Previously, Beyer served at Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, Ambassador to Switzerland and built a successful family business over the course of four decades.

Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), the Vice Chair of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC), released the following statement ahead of the Department of Labor’s weekly release of first-time unemployment claims. Claims for the week ending April 11 are expected to exceed 4 million, which means the total number of claims for the past four weeks will total well over 20 million.

“These numbers would be even scarier if all of the Americans who have lost their jobs in recent weeks could actually file a claim. But many cannot because unemployment systems across the country have not been upgraded in decades. In one state, workers are being asked to send information for unemployment via fax machine, a technology older than many filers, which few have access to in the home. In other states, it is easier to find toilet paper than it is to file for unemployment.

“Last week, the Joint Economic Committee released a report calling for massive aid to state and local governments and one of the reasons it is needed is because states are likely going to reach a point where they have to borrow money to pay unemployment benefits like they did after the Great Recession. Massive aid is also needed to help states upgrade their unemployment systems.”

Congressman Beyer has been tracking unemployment claims over the past month and has noted previously that they are substantially worse than during the Great Recession and should be addressed by providing significant support to small businesses and their employees and using automatic triggers to ensure Medicaid payments to states and unemployment benefits to workers continue at sufficient levels until the economy has recovered.

About Congressman Beyer

Congressman Beyer is currently serving his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Northern Virginia suburbs of the nation’s capital. In addition to his role as Vice Chair of the JEC, Beyer serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means and the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. Previously, Beyer served at Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, Ambassador to Switzerland and built a successful family business over the course of four decades.

Washington, D.C.—Today, after the U.S. Census Bureau reported an 8.7 percent drop in retail sales during the month of March, Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), the Vice Chair of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, again called for automatic triggers in the next legislative response to the coronavirus. The drop was more than two times worse than the previous record drop of 3.9 percent in November 2008.

Automatic triggers are a mechanism by which Congress can continue to provide automatic assistance to businesses, workers or other entities as long as the economy remains weak. These triggers would be linked to an economic indicator like the unemployment rate and turn off when the economy becomes strong.

“As a former business owner, this drastic drop—more than two times worse than the worst on record—puts a pit in my stomach. And the retail reality may be even worse than this number reveals because Americans were stockpiling groceries and other goods during the first few weeks of March.

“When I think about the next legislative response to the coronavirus, two words come to mind—automatic triggers, specifically those tied to economic conditions. Since it is impossible to know how long this drop will last, it is critical that Congress automatizes assistance for retailers and their workers until America is back open for business.

“Retailers and their workers should not have to wait and wonder if Congress will summon the political will to give them the assistance we know they need now.”

Congressman Beyer first called for automatic triggers last week after the Department of Labor reported first-time unemployment claims exceeded 6.6 million for the second week in a row.

About Congressman Beyer

Congressman Beyer is currently serving his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Northern Virginia suburbs of the nation’s capital. In addition to his role as Vice Chair of the JEC, Beyer serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means and the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. Previously, Beyer served at Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, Ambassador to Switzerland and built a successful family business over the course of four decades.

Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), the Vice Chair of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC), released the following statement after the Department of Labor reported that first-time unemployment claims for the week ending April 4 reached 6.6 million. This means that nearly 17 million Americans have lost their jobs in the last three weeks as a result of the economic impact of the coronavirus.

“This is a catastrophe. Nearly 17 million Americans have lost their jobs and they likely won’t find another one until the contagion is under control—and that may be a long way off. Congress can’t address this piecemeal—Americans need to know that they’ll get the support they need as long as the crisis lasts. That means building triggers in a follow-up to The CARES Act so that support automatically continues when it’s needed and discontinues when it’s not.”

Congressman Beyer is currently serving his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Northern Virginia suburbs of the nation’s capital. In addition to his role as Vice Chair of the JEC, Beyer serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means and the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.