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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E403]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AMERICA'S GLOBAL LEADERSHIP DURING COVID-19
______
HON. MICHAEL T. McCAUL
of texas
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, while we must continue to focus on
flattening the curve and supporting struggling Americans here at home,
we must also help combat the spread of COVID-19 abroad. The pandemic is
just beginning in many developing countries in the Middle East, Africa,
and Latin America. It is not hard to imagine a worst-case scenario as
COVID-19 ravages these fragile nations, particularly in areas already
plagued by conflict and extremism. The destabilizing impact that the
virus will have on economies, government institutions, and communities
is deeply concerning.
This is a global pandemic, and the work that we do overseas makes us
safer here at home, too, as this virus continue to spread. Since the
outbreak began, the U.S. has provided $775 million to over 100
countries around the world to combat the spread of COVID-19. This
commitment builds on over two decades of sustained U.S. leadership and
investment to strengthen health systems and respond to infectious
disease outbreaks. In addition, according to the State Department, the
American people, NGOs, faith groups, and the private sector have also
stepped up to provide an estimated $3 billion in donations and
assistance to save lives around the world.
However, we must ensure that these vital resources are used as
effectively and efficiently, as possible. Unfortunately, the Chinese
Communist Party continues to cover up their culpability--withholding
test samples, lying about mortality rates, and suppressing doctors and
journalists from covering the facts-and ultimately undermining the
global response. I support the Trump administration's efforts to insist
on transparency and accountability. This includes accountability at the
World Health Organization, which failed to immediately and effectively
respond to this global pandemic. We cannot allow taxpayer resources to
go toward organizations that were complicit in this cover up until
there is accountability.
Our assistance must not only consider the short-term needs of
vulnerable populations and our partners overseas, but also longer-term
recovery efforts to generate economic growth and opportunity. In this
unpredictable time, authoritarian regimes, terrorist groups, and
hostile nation states will try to take advantage of the chaos for
strategic gains. The Chinese Communist Party, acting as both the
arsonist and the firefighter, is leveraging this pandemic to project
their power and influence through economic dependencies created by
their Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). As African nations cry out for
much-needed debt relief from China's predatory BRI lending, reports are
already emerging that China is seeking to condition relief on the
handover of strategic assets, such as copper mining assets in Zambia.
We must consider the follow-on shocks of COVID-19--on nascent
democracies, counterterrorism operations, refugee camps, vaccination
campaigns, education systems, food security, and nutrition
interventions--as existing humanitarian crises, security threats, and
development challenges are compounded and exacerbated. The U.S. must be
strategic in our investments and adapt and prioritize our assistance to
prevent further destabilization and conflict in the wake of COVID-19.
Otherwise, the cost, in both lives and foreign assistance dollars will
be exponential in the long run.
I applaud Representative Yoho and Representative Bera for organizing
this special order and for working across the aisle to address this
crucial issue. I would also like to thank the frontline healthcare
workers, both in my district and around the world, for their lifesaving
work. Finally, I would like to thank the NGO community and the U.S.
Global Leadership Coalition for their leadership and advocacy.
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