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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E398-E399]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AMERICA'S GLOBAL LEADERSHIP DURING COVID-19
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HON. AMI BERA
of california
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Mr. BERA. Madam Speaker, as a doctor, I'm proud that the United
States has been a leader in global health. Around the world, millions
of people are healthier and more safe because of the efforts of the
United States. Through smart and strategic investments in the State
Department and USAID, we have led the international fight against
diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. We should all be
proud of the far-reaching impact of our global health, development and
humanitarian assistance programs.
Several decades of leadership and investment in global health have
not only saved the lives of people across the world, but have proved
vital to protecting the health, security, and economic interests of
Americans within our own borders. In our interconnected world, it can
take 36 hours for a virus to travel from a remote village to all six
continents. The sooner we act to contain a public health emergency
abroad, the safer our citizens are back home.
The urgent need to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and protect our
constituents has reinforced the importance of contributing to global
health challenges abroad. Since originating in China in December 2019,
the virus has quickly spread to 170 countries and has now reached over
200,000 deaths worldwide.
The United States has been hit particularly hard. With over 50,000
reported deaths, the pandemic is putting significant strain on our
first responders and health systems. States are beginning to make the
difficult decision whether to lift stay-at-home orders in hopes of
jumpstarting the economy.
But no matter how successful we are in fighting the pandemic here at
home, we will never defeat it unless other parts of the world are
equipped to prevent outbreaks from occurring in the first place and to
contain them when they do occur. Left unaddressed globally, COVID-19
will find its way back to the U.S.
Before the virus hit the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) warned that a staggering 70 percent of countries were
underprepared to prevent, detect, and respond to a public health
emergency. Many nations, particularly in the developing world, aren't
equipped to deal with COVID-19 or future pandemics. Far too many
countries suffer from weak health systems, with challenges such as
unsafe water and inadequate sanitation tools to lack of health centers
altogether.
Other nations are reeling from years of conflict, natural disasters
or other humanitarian conflicts, doing their best to support inadequate
health systems already operating well below capacity. COVID-19 does not
recognize borders. It doesn't know the difference between someone back
in my district and one of the over 65 million forcibly displaced
persons in the world.
The secondary economic and food shortages have hit us hard here in
the U.S. and we in Congress are doing our best to address them. The
predictions for the future around the world are bleak--the World Food
Program recently estimated that by the end of 2020 the number of people
around the world who are starving could double, reaching 265 million
people.
All these risk factors around the world only increase the likelihood
of this virus reemerging at our doorstep. They also leave us exposed to
future public health threats. Now, more than ever, the U.S. must
continue to lead on global health. As Congress works towards additional
funding and response efforts to fight this global pandemic, it's
critical that our actions include funding to fight COVID-19 around the
world.
Decades of U.S. global leadership in foreign assistance has shown us
that smart and strategic investments are critical to protecting the
homeland. Our efforts have defended the safety of our nation and saved
countless lives. I ask my colleagues to join me in calling for the
prioritizing of a U.S.-led global response to combatting coronavirus.
If we don't keep one eye abroad, we unnecessarily leave our families,
friends, and neighbors at risk.
[[Page E399]]
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