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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E407-E408]
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. ADAM SMITH
of washington
in the house of representatives
Friday, May 1, 2020
Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, government and public health
officials in the U.S. have started grappling with how to reopen the
economy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Much of this discussion has
understandably focused on what we need to do here in the U.S. such as
drastically expanding testing capacity and hiring additional personnel
to conduct a massive amount of contact tracing. For us to be prepared
to prevent outbreaks here at home, however, we also have to think
beyond our borders.
The reality of infectious diseases like COVID-19 is that outbreaks
anywhere in the world threaten transmission here in the U.S. The
pandemic has upended countries in almost every corner of the world, but
the impact on developing countries will be especially devastating. Not
only do these countries already have low-resourced health systems but
many are facing other challenges caused by conflict, climate change,
droughts, migration and displacement. Their ability to prevent,
contain, and respond to outbreaks is severely limited, making
assistance from the international community critical.
While the prevalence of COVID-19 in most developing countries remains
unknown due to limited testing, the impact of the crisis is already
taking its toll. The economic fallout from the pandemic will hit
vulnerable populations the hardest; hundreds of millions of people
could be pushed into poverty. The United Nations Food and Agricultural
Organization has warned of a looming food crisis caused by significant
strains on the global food supply chain. By the end of this year, the
number of people on the brink of starvation around the world could
double.
In the short-term, the U.S. must bring significant investments in
emergency economic and humanitarian relief to the table. The potential
for drastic increases in poverty and widespread famine will foster
further instability and displacement. Progress in developing countries
to reduce conflict, increase economic opportunity, and promote good
governance will be set back. Providing immediate additional resources
to combat COVID-19 in other countries will not only alleviate the
humanitarian
[[Page E408]]
crisis and reduce its potential destabilizing impacts, but it will also
help prevent new outbreaks here in the U.S.
In the long run, the work to prevent future outbreaks and combat the
next pandemic is never-ending. The investments we make today in global
health and development will help determine our ability to prevent and
combat future outbreaks. For decades, unfortunately, this work has been
underfunded. We have to increase our funding for global health security
to strengthen health systems in developing countries so they are better
prepared to contain diseases and prevent outbreaks. Investments in
development and economic assistance, global health, and humanitarian
relief are also vital for countries to improve their outbreak response
and recovery. Efforts to cut these programs and gut key agencies such
as USAID, the State Department, and the CDC are short-sighted and harm
the long-term health and economic wellbeing of the U.S.
In the coming months and years, a lot of attention will be given to
questions around how the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded and how we prevent
and better mitigate future outbreaks. We must use this opportunity to
reinforce the value of U.S. global leadership and make the case for
strengthened investments in global health and development. If anything,
the COVID-19 pandemic has been a stark reminder that these investments
are critical to protecting the health, economic, and security interests
of the U.S.
____________________