COVID PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE, AND EFFECTIVE PLANNING FOR ADVANCED REQUIREMENTS BY THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH ACT OF 2020; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 171
(Extensions of Remarks - October 01, 2020)
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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E911-E912]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COVID PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE, AND EFFECTIVE PLANNING FOR ADVANCED
REQUIREMENTS BY THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH ACT OF 2020
______
speech of
HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE
of texas
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as the Founding Chair of the
Coronavirus Task Force and a senior member of the Judiciary and
Homeland Committees, I rise in strong support of H.R. 7496, the ``COVID
PREPARE Act,'' which requires every federal agency to submit a report
to Congress on the steps they are taking to respond to a potential
resurgence of COVID-19, including measurable goals, anticipated
challenges, and how they will consult with Congress.
I would like to thank Representatives Brad Schneider and John Katko
for introducing and leading this important piece of legislation.
[[Page E912]]
By passing this bipartisan bill today, Congress has taken it upon
itself to ensure that all federal agencies are aware of the risks
associated with any resurgence in coronavirus cases and are prepared to
address them efficiently.
This legislation stipulates that Congress will receive regular
updates from these agencies until the President ends the emergency
declaration related to the coronavirus pandemic.
At the beginning of this pandemic, the federal government's response
to COVID-19 was delayed, disorganized, and haphazard.
It is because of these inefficiencies that the United States
currently has over 7 million cases of the coronavirus and over 205,000
related deaths.
In the state of Texas alone, there are currently 761,332 cases of the
virus and approximately 15,820 deaths.
We must not make the same mistakes again.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on American
communities and take thousands of American lives, experts have warned
that things might get even worse in the fall, especially as schools,
businesses, and communities continue to reopen.
Over the last six months, federal agencies have learned many hard
lessons, and they have crafted new, effective strategies that will
protect families and communities across the country fight against a
possible resurgence of coronavirus cases this fall.
We must put our faith in science and continue to invest in testing,
contact tracing, as well as vaccine development.
In my own district, I have facilitated the opening of 32 testing
sites since the beginning of the pandemic in an effort to curb the
spread of the virus.
Mr. Speaker, Congress has a duty to assure the American people that
the federal government is doing everything in its power to beat back
the dual health and economic crises of this pandemic.
H.R. 7496 honors that responsibility entrusted to us by the American
people, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come
together and vote for this important legislation.
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