March 5, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 44 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session
CORONAVIRUS PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 44
(Extensions of Remarks - March 05, 2020)
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[Extensions of Remarks] [Page E266] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] CORONAVIRUS PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020 ______ speech of HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE of texas in the house of representatives Wednesday, March 4, 2020 Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise to speak in strong support of the H.R. 6074, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2020, which will provide $8.3 billion in funding to combat the novel coronavirus. The legislation includes $950 million for state and local health agencies to conduct vital public health activities, including surveillance, laboratory testing, infection control, contact tracing, and mitigation. My thoughts and prayers are with the 9 families who lost a loved one to the coronavirus, and the many others who have contracted the disease. We owe a special debt to First Responders who will be the lifeline for many who will need medical care to overcome this coronavirus designed as COVID-19. Earlier this year, when I saw news reports in early January on the novel Coronavirus's rapid spread and the numbers of infected expanding so quickly, I knew this was not something to be taken lightly and that time was not on our side to mount an effective defense. On February 10, 2020, I held the first press conference on the issue of the novel coronavirus at Houston Intercontinental Airport. I was joined by public health officials, local unions, and advocates to raise awareness regarding the virus and the implications it might have for travel to the United States from China and to combat early signs of discrimination targeting Asian businesses in the United States. On February 24, 2020, I held a second press conference on the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization declaration of a ``public health emergency from the outbreak of the Coronavirus.'' At that time, I formally requested the President of the United States by letter to immediately suspend any health-related cuts that impact efforts to contain and treat the coronavirus, including the $3.3 billion in cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the discretionary budget cuts for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of nearly 19 percent at $678 million, severely threatening the CDC's ability to respond to this and other epidemics in the future. Additionally, I requested the President to suspend cuts in both the Medicare and Medicaid programs. On February 26, 2020, I sent a letter to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security seeking a meeting with Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf to gain insight into the Preparedness of the Agency to address a possible pandemic. On February 28, 2020, I spoke on the Floor of the House and Announced plans to form a Congressional Coronavirus Task Force. I thank Congressmen Brian Fitzpatrick, Dr. Raul Ruiz, and Congresswoman Lauren Underwood for joining me as co-chairs of the Congressional Coronavirus Task Force. Today, March 4, 2020, the House of Representatives is giving a full- throated response to coronavirus by introducing an $8.3 billion of new funding to help federal, state, and local public health departments meet the challenge of preparing communities for COVID-19. Among its provisions, the emergency supplemental introduced by Chairwoman Lowey includes: More than $3 billion for research and development of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics; $2.2 billion in public health funding for prevention, preparedness, and response, $950 million of which is to support state & local health agencies; Nearly $1 billion for procurement of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, to support healthcare preparedness and Community Health Centers, and to improve medical surge capacity; $435 million to support health systems overseas to prevent, prepare, and respond to the coronavirus; $300 million to respond to humanitarian needs; $61 million to facilitate the development and review of medical countermeasures, devices, therapies, and vaccines, and to help mitigate potential supply chain interruptions; and Allows for an estimated $7 billion in low-interest loans to affected small businesses. The emergency supplemental also contains other strong provisions to ensure a full response and keep Americans safe. The bill: Requires that funds are only used to fight the coronavirus and other infectious diseases; Allows seniors to access telemedicine services for coronavirus treatment; Helps ensure that vaccines and treatments for coronavirus are affordable; and Ensures that state and local governments are reimbursed for costs incurred while assisting the federal response. Additionally, the bill includes a requirement to reimburse $136 million to important health accounts, including mental health and substance abuse treatment and prevention and heating and cooling assistance for low-income families, that was transferred by the Trump administration to support its response. On Tuesday, March 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 60 cases of COVID-19 from 12 states. Twenty-two of these cases are travel-related; 11 are believed to be person-to-person spread; and for the remaining 27 the source of exposure is still under investigation. Noteworthy developments in recent days include: Florida announced its first and second presumptive positive cases of COVID-19, one in a person with recent travel history (to Italy), the other with no currently known travel or contact history. Georgia announced its first and second confirmed cases of COVID-19, one is a person with recent travel history (to Italy), the other in a close contact of the first patient. New Hampshire also reported its first presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in a person with recent travel history (to Italy). New York state announced its first case of COVID-19 in a person with recent travel history (to Iran). Rhode Island announced its first presumptive positive case of COVID- 19 in a person with recent travel history (to Italy). Washington state announced more cases of COVID-19 associated with an outbreak in a long-term care facility. Washington has announced it now has 14 cases of COVID-19, including 6 COVID-19 deaths. The 12 states that have reported cases include: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin. Today, the World Health Organization reports a 3.4-percent mortality rate for COVID-19. The challenge with this new coronavirus is that it is highly contagious, and of those infected, 15-20-percent contract pneumonia. And 5 percent of these cases may develop Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), which is a rapidly progressive disease occurring in critically ill patients. The main complication in ARDS is that fluid leaks into the lungs making breathing difficult or impossible. This virus is a potentially serious public health threat, but this does not mean that we should have a public health panic. There are knowledgeable and trained virologists, public health experts, and physicians who are who need the funding provided by this bill. I also organized a bi-partisan task force on the COVID-19 to help Congressional Members during this crisis to better serve their constituents. I ask that my colleagues join me in voting in support of H.R. 6074. ____________________