March 12, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 48 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session

[Page H1666]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE BEST CHANCE TO MITIGATE CORONAVIRUS

  (Mr. LaMALFA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, from the Oval Office, the President's 
address to the Nation last night stressed how important decisive action 
is today and in the future to prevent the spread of the virus tomorrow.
  I commend the President for his latest measures to keep the country 
safe and to provide for its continued prosperity.
  The travel ban from China proved to be a lifesaving choice for 
Americans, and I expect the European travel ban will provide a similar 
result and ability to hold off even worse results.
  Should the House vote on a coronavirus package today, I would like to 
remind my colleagues that our local governments are the best chance we 
have of attacking this virus head-on.
  The President has worked diligently to provide local public health 
officials the resources they need to mitigate the virus, including the 
rapid release of the funds from the emergency supplemental we passed 
last week.
  Our cities and towns know the risks that their citizens face the 
best, and Congress should be doing all it can to take proper action in 
aiding them and, most importantly, our American citizens.

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