Senator Hassan Calls for Additional Senate Finance Hearings Focused on COVID-19 and its Impact on Nursing Homes

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan today called on the Senate Finance Committee to hold hearings on COVID-19 and its impact on older Americans living in long-term care facilities.

To watch Senator Hassan’s questioning, click here.

“Moving forward I hope this committee can conduct the type of broad oversight of the federal response to COVID-19 that the American people deserve, including an examination of what has happened in our country’s nursing homes. Like so many other states, my state’s nursing homes have been devastated, and the deaths in New Hampshire due to COVID-19 are unbelievably disproportionately happening in our long-term care facilities,” Senator Hassan said.

During the Senate Finance Hearing today with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials, Senator Hassan also discussed the importance of combating illegal, international fentanyl trafficking.

Senator Hassan, who traveled to China last year as part of a Congressional Delegation trip to stress the importance of strengthening efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking from China, addressed the “illegal production and distribution of fentanyl [that is] devastating people in New Hampshire and beyond.” Senator Hassan asked FDA officials “about the work your agency is doing in China, as well as efforts to stop illegal fentanyl from crossing our border, including sales on the dark web.”

Judith McMeekin and Douglas Throckmorton, MD of the FDA discussed their efforts to interdict illegal fentanyl at ports of entry and international mail facilities, as well as the work the agency does to investigate online sales of opioids.

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