Along with my staff, I make calls to constituents to personally respond to their contacting my office. So many people are reaching out, and I wanted to hear their stories and offer help. Here are my key takeaways:

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2/X People are scared and are struggling to get accurate information. Many are asking for the first time in their lives for government assistance; they need support and encouragement. My office is ready to work with our community.

3/X Small businesses are struggling with lost income. Most are closed. I talked to a non-profit founder who received his EIDL money (economic injury disaster loan) through the SBA a week ago. Most businesses are waiting—and worried.

4/X Hearing these hardships is a powerful testament to the need for Congress to act immediately to increase funding for the PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) and to do oversight of the SBA and Treasury so everyone has equal opportunity to get help.

5/X Nearly every constituent appreciated our connecting them to the Small Business Development Center in Irvine and thanked their staff for being terrific resources with one-on-one services and webinars. Find your local help: https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance/find/?type=Small%20Business%20Development%20Center&pageNumber=1

6/X In my calls, I’ve also spoken to constituents who have expertise to share. A retired nurse manager with experience in catastrophe planning had great ideas about expanding the health workforce to complement the California Health Corps.

7/X Some folks also write to me to express gratitude to our frontline/essential workers. In talking to those employees, I hear how important it is to advance my Mental Health Parity bill as part of the response to the pandemic.

8/8 I’m getting on the phone to make another batch of calls now. There is no substitute for hearing the voices of our neighbors. No briefing, news stories, or social media feed can convey the pain—and strength—of Americans in the face of COVID-19.