Farkas Unveils Coronavirus Policy Proposals and Resource Hub

Evelyn Farkas, Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense under President Obama, has announced policy priorities to address the coronavirus crisis and unveiled a new COVID-19 Resource Hub on her website as part of a new initiative developed in response to the coronavirus. The hub, designed to inform and support residents of Rockland and Westchester during the crisis, hosts critical information about local, state, and federal health and safety resources and lists non-profit organizations providing services to those in need of community support.

“These proposals have been developed to keep us safe during this outbreak and to make us more resilient to future pandemic threats,” Farkas said. “Thankfully, this issue has been on our radar for a while. The idea to create an extended bio defense perimeter by stationing CDC resources abroad, for example, was part of the recommendations made when I directed the Congressional WMD Commission over a decade ago. Now, however, federal policy is only a part of the battle. We all need to step up to support each other, and that’s why we created a Coronavirus Resource Hub. I hope this page will serve as a source of verified information to help our communities learn and support one another.”

Farkas’ congressional policy proposals follow a recently published essay, arguing for more direct involvement from the executive branch. Farkas’s background working across both the legislative and executive branches with responsibility for emergency response and disaster preparedness, and as leader of the WMD Commission, which identified and proposed solutions to US vulnerability against infectious pandemics, inform her perspective on the crisis.

Farkas’ proposals and the Coronavirus Resource Hub are the latest in a series of efforts in response to the coronavirus, including online Q&A sessions and weekly digital forums. on Zoom and Facebook Live. Farkas will hold her next digital forum on Wednesday, April 1 at 6pm, providing analysis of the newly passed CARES Act and related federal regulations designed to combat the impact of the coronavirus. Participants can call 646-876-9923 (meeting ID: 489 118 755##), watch Live on Facebook at facebook.com/evelynforny, and submit questions through this form in advance.

Momentum has been building behind Farkas’ campaign across the district and across the nation. Farkas, the only candidate in the race with federal legislative experience, has been endorsed by former Secretary of State John Kerry, current U.S. Representatives Marcy Kaptur and Tom Malinowski, and former U.S. Senators Carl Levin and Bob Graham. She’s also received votes of approval from several local Democratic committees. Farkas leads the race in money raised from individual contributions, having achieved $464,000 in the first six weeks of the campaign.

The daughter of Hungarian refugees, Farkas was raised in Westchester and attended public schools there. For nearly three decades, she has represented the United States defending democracy and advancing human rights in the Defense Department and on the Senate Armed Services Committee staff. In addition to serving as executive director of the WMD Commission, she was a human rights officer in Bosnia and a professor at the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College. She has advised former defense secretaries, senators, and representatives, including Hillary Clinton and Nita Lowey.

New York's 17th Congressional District for the United States House of Representatives is located in the Lower Hudson Valley. It includes all of Rockland County and portions of central and northwestern Westchester County, including Chappaqua, Mt. Kisco, Ossining, Peekskill, Pleasantville, Tarrytown, White Plains, Cortlandt and Yorktown Heights. District residents interested in Farkas' election campaign can visit evelynforny.com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to learn more, volunteer or contribute.