In a conference call with reporters last Thursday from his home in Cheyenne, a notably concerned Third District Congressman Frank Lucas (R-OK) outlined his personal assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic and offered details of the federal government’s response to it.
“The magnitude of what we’re facing is really quite incredible,” Lucas said. “We may lose 2% of our population, even if we continue social distancing. I’m pretty intense, pretty wound-up,” he said.
Citing Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director Dr. Robert Redfield, Lucas said the highly contagious virus could “circle the globe several times” before the country can finally control infections, either with a vaccine, or by developing “herd immunity.” Lucas also pointed out CDC guidance that 80% of those infected will not require hospitalization, and that 25% of those infected will show no symptoms.
Lucas said it was important to take action now to protect Americans to avoid what he described as the situation in Iran, where leaders “let it blow through their country,” casting aside the welfare of the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions, possibly “killing 20% of their population.”
“We have to perfect a vac cine, but that might take a year-and-a-half,” he said.
Anticipating criticism over increased federal spending in recently passed stimulus bills, Lucas said “I’m as tight as anyone you know, but this has the potential to turn the country upside down. I know what happened to my county [Roger Mills], which had a population of 14,000 in 1930, and will probably have a population of 3,500 in 2020,” as a result of the Spanish Influenza, Great Depression, and the Dust Bowl. “I’m not going to let that happen again on my watch. We have to avoid the mistakes made in 1929-30, when the Federal Reserve tightened credit, and Congress tightened spending” in response to the Great Depression, he said.
The Congressman described some of the features of the recently passed stimulus bills, pointing to approval of checks of $1200 per adult, and $500 per child, which he said should be received “within the next couple of weeks,” and increased funding and flexibility for food assistance programs.
“Oklahoma is getting hit with a triple-whammy,” Lucas said, with the virus, oil prices, and difficulties in the food processing industry, despite exploding demand.
He described some features designed to help the agriculture industry including $9.5 billion in support to keep production agriculture operating smoothly, $14 billion in funding for the Commodity Credit Corporation, and funds for agriculture marketing and to bolster the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
Lucas said he wanted Congress to wait to see the short-term effects of the latest stimulus package before passing another. “If there is a Phase 4, it will be the last major piece of legislation before the election,” he said. “I think it’s a little early, but nothing’s off the table.”
Lucas said individual farming operations are eligible for the new Payroll Protection Program loans, which are backed by the Small Business Administration and administered by local banks. These loans can turn into grants under certain conditions.