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Letter to the Hon. Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas - Congressman Gonzalez Sends Letter to Governor Urging Public Mask Mandate and Authority for Local Emergency Managers

Letter

Date: July 1, 2020
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Health and Health Care Federal, State and Local Relations

Dear Governor Abbott:

We are all aware of the enormous impact that COVID-19 has had on the State of Texas and is having on the State during this time. The numbers are constantly growing and in our respective Congressional districts our constituents are going to hospital emergency rooms seeking help and many of our hospitals are overflowing. We think it is important that large steps be made in order to ensure the safety and life of our fellow Texans. With that in mind, we ask that the following recommendations be made by you to the State in your coming address.

1. Mandatory masks --order that everyone wear a mask because it is now determined that the mask protects the person wearing the mask from getting COVID-19 and also from spreading it. The other person wearing a mask stops community spread.
2. Return authority to local county and city officials in order for them to be able to institute mandatory stay at home orders as science dictates, remind everyone of social distancing, and as well to not be in crowds of larger than ten. We also believe a serious decision should be made to make the Republican convention being held in Houston, Texas a virtual Convention or limited in attendance and demand that masks are mandatory.
3. We are ready and able to discuss any of these issues with you. As Members of the United States Congress, we have brought in billions of dollars to the State of Texas already and prospectively with the passage of the HEROES Act, more funding will be coming for additional testing, hospital funding, unemployment relief, small business assistance, and local and state government funding.

Finally, we think it is important that all the testing sites not be ended or limited and there should be expansive testing sites with federal, state and local government resources. This is a crucial time and there is no doubt that quickly opening the State of Texas did not work. It is imperative that we work together to save the lives of our fellow Texans and act decisively on masks and stay at home orders.Thank you for your consideration.


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