Rep. Phillips is working together with Minnesota and federal officials to get us through this pandemic as healthy, economically sound, and prepared for the future as possible. He is on a mission to ensure transparency, and remains committed to tackling this threat in a unified, nonpartisan manner at home and overseas.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, the U.S. Capitol and Minnetonka office of Rep. Dean Phillips are closed to the public at this time. In the coming days, weeks, and months, many of our friends and neighbors will struggle to navigate the federal government to obtain benefits and federal assistance. Bureaucracy should not be a barrier to care, and the Office of Rep. Dean Phillips is here to help. As a constituent, you can still:
Send emails and letters: The best way to contact the Office of Rep. Phillips is by sending an email.
Call our offices in Washington (202-225-2871) and Minnetonka (952-656-5176). If you reach our voicemail during business hours and leave a message, staff will return your call within 24 hours.
In Minnesota, businesses are the economic engines of our communitites - and even if you don't own one yourself, chances are you or someone you love depends on the goods, services, or employment that a Minnesota business provides. From advocating to flexibility and accountability in federal relief programs to helping you get answers from the Small Business Administration, Rep. Phillips and his staff will do their best to keep you informed and are focused on the mission to get us through this as healthy, economically sound, and prepared for the future as possible.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has warned Minnesotans about a reported spike in price gouging, scams, and phishing attacks related to COVID-19. Use the links below to learn how to spot, avoid, and report these attacks:
Viruses don't descriminate, and neither should we. Amid rising reports of discrimination from the Asian American community, Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan launched a Discrimination Helpline to reinforce the state’s efforts to protect the civil rights of Minnesotans during the COVID-19 pandemic. The toll-free helpline, which is at 1-833-454-0148, will allow those who experience or witness bias and discrimination to report incidents to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. The helpline is staffed Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM.
Avoiding public spaces and working remotely can help to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but for many survivors of domestic violence, it may actually cause danger. If you need immediate suport, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is here for you 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY). If you’re unable to speak safely, you can visit thehotline.org or text LOVEIS to 22522.
Places or worship play a critical role in times of crisis. Community- and faith-based organizations, working together with schools, businesses, healthcare systems, and state, local, tribal, and territorial health departments, can help slow the spread of diseases, especially among high risk populations.
You may leave your home to run essential errands like going to the grocery store, food bank and meal pick-up locations. Some Minnesota grocery stores are offering special shopping hours for at-risk populations, contact your neighborhood stores for more information about COVID-19 precautions.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more commonly known as food stamps, ensures that Americans receive the food they need, especially if they are newly unemployed. Congress has invested in SNAP in the last three coronavirus relief bills to help Americans put food on the table during this crisis. Click here to access the Minnesota SNAP website to see if you are eligible and apply for assistance
Congress has also secured $850 million in emergency funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) to help food banks face increased utilization and demand in countless communities across the country due to the coronavirus. To find food assistance near you, call the USDA National Hunger Hotline 1-866-3-HUNGRY/1877-8-HAMBRE
As more schools close due to coronavirus, Congress has provided emergency funding for Child Nutrition Programs to ensure students can still receive their free or reduced-price school meals during this time. Contact your school district for more information about the meal services that are available to your family
Health Care and Insurance
Developments in your life due to COVID-19 may make you eligible to recieve coverage through MNSure.
Thanks to the CARES Act, all four medical insurance companies that sell private health insurance plans on MNsure are waiving co-pays, co-insurance and deductibles related to COVID-19 diagnostic testing, and cost sharing for in-network COVID-19 hospitalization.
Call the Minnesota COVID-19 Housing Hotline at 651-296-8215 (single family residences) or 651-297-4455 (multi-family residences) for additional support
Congress has also passed important protections and assistance for homeowners and renters during the pandemic, including:
Mortgage Forbearance: Homeowners with FHA, USDA, VA, or Section 184 or 184A mortgages (for members of federally-recognized tribes) and those with mortgages backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac have the right to request forbearance on their payments for up to six months, with a possible extension for another six months without fees, penalties, or extra interest. Homeowners should contact their mortgage servicing company directly.
Eviction Protections: Renters residing in public or assisted housing, or in a home or apartment whose owner has a federally-backed mortgage, and who are unable to pay their rent, are protected from eviction for four months. Property owners are also prohibited from issuing a 30-day notice to a tenant to vacate a property until after the four-month moratorium ends. This protection covers properties that receive federal subsidies such as public housing, Section 8 assistance, USDA rural housing programs, and federally-issued or guaranteed mortgages. Renters whose landlord is not abiding by the moratorium should contact the relevant federal agency that administers their housing program or their local Legal Aid office.
COVID-19, and the accompanying physical and financial worries, can cause considerable amounts of stress. Take care of yourself, spend time outdoors, use technology to connect with loved ones, and ask for help when you need it.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Disaster Distress Helpline, 1-800-985-5990, is a 24/7, 365-day-a-year, national hotline dedicated to providing immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster. This toll-free, multilingual, and confidential crisis support service is available to all residents in the United States and its territories. Stress, anxiety, and other depression-like symptoms are common reactions during and after a disaster. Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.
Student Loans
If you have student loan debt, Congress secured several options outlined below for borrowers that help provide relief through September 30, 2020. During this period, borrowers will be able to:
Pause payments for federal student loan borrowers who have Direct Loans and Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL). Borrowers will not be required to make any payments toward outstanding interest or principal balance
Suspend interest accrual for such loans so that these balances don’t accrue
Avoid forced collections such as garnishment of wages, tax refunds, and Social Security benefits
Halt negative credit reporting
Ensure a borrower continues to receive credit toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Income-Driven Repayment forgiveness, and loan rehabilitation
If your employment has been affected by COVID-19 you may be eligible to receive supplemental unemployment benefits. Thousands of people are in the process of applying for unemployment benefits and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (MNDEED) call wait times may exceed one hour.
Congress provided robust emergency funding to ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has the equipment, tests, vaccines and support services – including setting up temporary care sites, mobile treatment centers and increasing telehealth visits to allow more veterans to get care at home – necessary to provide veterans with the additional care they need.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act was signed into law on March 18, 2020 and requires certain employers to provide paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19.
Challenging days lie ahead, but we will persevere and overcome together. The best thing you can do for our community during the COVID-19 crisis is to heed public health advice - stay home, wash your hands, sanitize surfaces, and be kind and patient with one another. Doing so will save lives and ensure our medical professionals have the time and supplies they need to keep us all healthy.
Minnesotans are hearty, and when our friends and neighbors need help, it's our instinct to pitch in. If you are healthy, able, and willing to practice responsible physical distancing and hygiene, here are a few ways to help:
Individuals
Check in on elderly and at-risk neighbors: Use technology to stay connected or offer pick up essential items so those at the highest risk can avoid exposure.
Only buy what you need: We're in this together. Don't stockpile essential supplies, food, or medication.
Become a Medical Reserve Corps volunteer:Minnesota Responds is a partnership that integrates and engages local, regional, and statewide volunteer programs to strengthen public health and health care, reduce vulnerability, build resilience, and improve preparedness, response and recovery capabilities. Click here for more information.
Give blood: The COVID-19 pandemic has created an urgent need for blood. The American Red Cross has established special COVID-19 safety procedures to keep donors safe.
Support local small businesses and restaurants: Use online ordering or delivery to supportthe small businesses, restaurants, and cafes in your neighborhood if you are able.
Check in with your neighborhood food shelf and non-profit: Difficult days are ahead, so contact your favorite cause and see what they need.
Lift up the heroes: We can do this and WILL do this together, so let's spread a little joy. Engage in small acts of kindness, share stories of people doing good, and send a thank you note to those on the front line. Optimism is just as contagious as fear.
Businesses and Organizations
If you are a business, school, university, medical facility or organization with essential products, materials, medical equipment or venue space contact hsem.ppp@state.mn.us or fill out this form.
ADDITIONAL COVID-19 INFORMATION:
The presence of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Minnesota is cause for concern but not cause for panic. While closings, social distancing, and changes to our daily routines can are disruptive, please know it's the pragmatic and responsible approach to protecting our families, workers, and small businesses in the long term. We will succeed together. We all have a role to play in keeping our community healthy - cover your cough, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, only share information from trustworthy sources, wear a mask, get vaccinated as soon as you are able, and please stay home if you are sick.