Renew. Restore. Rebuild.
August 9, 2020
Friends,
Like many of you, the first thing I think about when I wake up is my family. Even before my feet hit the floor, I think about how I am going to help my son grow, stay safe and healthy, and reach a better tomorrow. I take the same approach as your Representative in Congress.
This week, our community braced itself as we prepared for Hurricane Isaias to make landfall. Over the last several years, we have seen the devastating effects of hurricanes and tropical storms firsthand. You can still see remnants of previous storms in many places and almost everyone has a story about how they have been affected.
Thankfully, we were well prepared for this storm and Cumberland County Emergency Services Director Gene Booth said there were no reports of significant damage or injuries in the Fayetteville region of our district. However, our prayers remain with all of those further east to us on the coast.
I thanked President Trump for signing an emergency declaration for North Carolina last Sunday as we prepared. This declaration allowed FEMA to work with our state, as well as our National Guard soldiers, to respond to any impacts.
I'm confident that just as we've always done, folks across our state will work together to recover. However, this is a good reminder that as we remain in hurricane season, we need to be cautious and take these events seriously. It's never a bad idea to have a plan as a family, a few extra nonperishable goods in the cabinet, or basic first aid supplies on hand.
As we emerged from Hurricane Isaias, this week I was also grateful to speak with over 10,000 constituents across our region on our latest telephone town hall event. Even in normal times, there is no way we could have had this many people together in one place. In these times, it's an even better way to connect while social distancing requirements are in place.
I love having these events to hear directly from the people who matter most – you. Rep. Dan Bishop joined me and we spent over an hour answering your questions. On the call we discussed priorities like combating coronavirus, improving our economy, and supporting our military and veterans.
We also discussed a series of recent wins for our community in the effort to combat exposure to PFAS chemicals including GenX in our drinking water. In the appropriations package that recently passed the House of Representatives, I was thankful that two of my provisions were passed unanimously and included in the bill.
My first provision provided $2 million to study the connection between exposure to PFAS and susceptibility to COVID-19. Initial studies have shown that PFAS exposure may lower the body's ability for the immune system to respond to COVID-19. I believe that it is critical that we further explore this relationship so that we can take every step possible to ensure our communities remain safe and healthy.
My second amendment provides funding for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop national regulatory standards, or Effluent Limit Guidelines, as part of the PFAS Action Plan for discharge of PFAS chemicals including GenX. Creating these standards will better control the amount of PFAS that is entering our water sources and proactively limit exposure.
As always, I am extremely thankful to continue to work on behalf of you and our entire region. If you missed this most recent town hall call, you can always reach out to me at one of my offices in Concord at 704-786-1612 or Fayetteville at 910-997-2070. These are challenging times, but know that my commitment to you is that I will do everything possible so that we can renew the American dream, restore our way of life, and rebuild the greatest economy ever.
Until next week,
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Richard Hudson
Member of Congress