NASHVILLE, TENN. – Today, President Donald Trump named Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) to his congressional task force to provide counsel on the re-opening of America in the wake of COVID-19.

Senator Blackburn made the following statement on her selection:

“Since the day COVID-19 reached our shores, President Trump’s resolve to defeat it has not wavered. His Administration has worked day and night to identify the most effective ways to keep the American people safe, from supplying health care workers with needed equipment to aiding small business owners through a volatile economic period.

“These efforts must be complimented by legislative action that will move us through and out of this pandemic. Last month, I introduced bipartisan legislation to bring critical elements of our drug supply chain back to the United States. When it became clear that our health care facilities would require as much space as possible to treat COVID-19, I urged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to eliminate regulations and enable the widespread use of telemedicine for routine care. This week, I asked Secretary Esper to identify ways to help servicemembers who may be struggling with their mental health during social distancing.

“This pandemic is affecting Americans of all backgrounds, in every sector, and figuring out how we re-open our country requires a targeted approach. I am grateful that President Trump has selected me to join that effort, and look forward to working with my colleagues to come up with a solution that serves the American people.”

BACKGROUND

On March 11, Senator Blackburn introduced the Securing America’s Medicine Cabinet Act, bipartisan legislation to increase American manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), the building blocks of prescription drugs. On March 17, the White House announced the expansion of telehealth as a result of Senator Blackburn’s advocacy. Earlier this week, Senator Blackburn urged Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to address the mental health of servicemembers during social distancing.