Rep. Horn says "lack of effective leadership" leading to problems in COVID relief funding

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Lawmakers in Washington are already working on another COVID-19 relief package for Americans. But Oklahoma Congresswoman Kendra Horn says there's still work to be done on the most recent plan passed, the $2.2 trillion CARES Act.

“Congress has passed historic bipartisan relief measures for our hospitals, patients, workers, and families, but our communities are still waiting for this help to arrive. There has been a lack of effective leadership in implementing the CARES Act and other stimulus measures," said Horn in a statement Wednesday afternoon.

FOX 25 spoke with the Congresswoman today, who says the administration has been too slow in getting much of the funding where it needs to be.

"We need to take the intent of the legislation we're passing, make sure the agencies are interpreting it and in alignment with that, and then get the programs up and running. And not making people wait for these critical resources right now," says Horn.

The congresswoman pointed to an issue with the IRS and the stimulus checks for Americans. While seniors on social security will no longer have to file an abbreviated tax for to get the funds, they haven't resolved whether disabled veterans or people on social security disability will.

"I'm hearing from families and business owners across the district that are asking when they can receive the relief and support that we passed," says Horn. "So it's time for us to get this moving."

But the issues aren't just on funds to boost the economy. Rep. Horn says the administration still hasn't sent out billions of dollars in funding for hospitals and medical professionals.

"There's $100 billion we included in the CARES Act that is meant to help our hospitals and medical facilities to provide care in these times that has not yet been distributed. These funds need to get out," says Horn. "Here in Oklahoma, we know it took far too long for us to get PPE and testing supplies from the national stockpile. We are still waiting on some of those resources to get here, and that's what I mean. We need to take the intent of the legislation that we're passing, and make sure the agencies are interpreting it and aligned with it, and then get the programs up and running."

As for what we could see in a 'Phase 4' package, Horn says it will certainly include more funding for small businesses. This as the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, is quickly running dry.

"We need to make sure that we're providing sufficient resources for our small businesses," says Horn. "The $350 billion we put into those programs is going quickly. We've got to make sure we fill that, and then address other critical issues."

But while some leaders have pushed for another plan by the end of this week, Horn sees that as unlikely.

Meanwhile, new models are showing a less severe coronavirus peak in Oklahoma and across the nation. Horn says it shows how well social distancing practices are working, and that people need to keep following them. Asked if Oklahoma needed to implement a statewide 'Shelter In Place' order, the congresswoman responded:

"We are still in the bottom in terms of testing, and our numbers continue to grow every day. We need to the health experts and we need to do everything we can to be clear with the public, to communicate what we're doing and why it's important. And that clear direction is an important reminder to all of us that we're all in this together."

If you have questions for the congresswoman, you can ask on her daily 'Questions with Kendra' Facebook LIVE here.