Rep. Elise Stefanik (Official congressional photo)

SCHUYLERVILLE — North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik will serve on the Bipartisan Northeast Congressional COVID-19 Regional Recovery Task Force, which includes a group of House of Representatives members from the Northeast, where COVID-19 has hit the hardest.

“Examining how to protect public health and reopen our economy on a regional basis instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach is critical to the success of our region’s recovery,” said Stefanik, R-Schuylerville.

“Small businesses and agriculture businesses are the backbone of our North Country economy, and I will bring a unique perspective to this bipartisan task force as the representative of a rural district. I will use input from my conversations with constituents, business owners, farmers and public health officials in my district as a guide for recommendations to protect public health reopen our economy and get Americans back to work.”

Also on the task force are Reps. Mikie Sherrill (co-chair, D-N.J.), Pete King (co-chair, R-N.Y.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Jim Himes (D-Conn.), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.), Dan Meuser (R-Pa.) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.).

The group intends to meet virtually each week to discuss the following topics, according to Stefanik’s office:

¯ When and how Americans can get back to work safely

¯ Replenishing stockpiles of personal protective equipment

¯ Coordinating future stockpiling of ventilators, gowns, etc., among federal, state and local governments and hospitals

¯ Increasing access to reliable virus and antibody tests

¯ Developing a plan for efficient contact tracing

¯ Containing the pandemic and preventing future waves of outbreak

¯ Addressing societal fears around returning to public spaces

¯ Voting safely

¯ Ensuring that production of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies is returned to the United States from China.

Earlier this month, Stefanik was appointed by President Donald Trump to serve on a national, bipartisan Task Force to Reopen the Economy, which consists of 65 senators and 32 House members.