[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 36 (Monday, February 24, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S1099]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Coronavirus

  Madam President, we are returning to Washington, DC, from time spent 
in our States. I was happy, for one, to get time to spend in Texas with 
constituents. I traveled the State, as I am sure many of us did, 
traveling from Midland, to Ft. Worth, to Corpus Christi, and a number 
of spots in between. Texas is a pretty big place, so it takes a little 
time to move around, but it is really great to be able to hear from the 
folks I represent--the folks we all represent--about what they care 
about the most.
  One of the most interesting things to me is how little they talk 
about what is talked about inside the bubble here known as Washington, 
DC. In San Antonio, for example, I met with State and local officials 
to discuss their growing concerns over coronavirus. Lackland Air Force 
Base is one of the designated locations where Americans evacuated from 
overseas with suspected exposure to coronavirus are being held under 
the first Federal quarantine in more than 50 years. Folks were 
naturally concerned about the fact that these evacuees were scheduled 
to be transported to local civilian hospitals for testing rather than 
remaining on the base where they are quarantined. In our meeting, we 
were able to speak with not only the mayor and two council persons, but 
we were able to speak with officials from the Department of Health and 
Human Services and the Defense Department about these concerns, and I 
am glad we were able to come up with a better solution. The Department 
of Health and Human Services has now updated their protocol to ensure 
that testing for coronavirus will be conducted at Joint Base Lackland's 
quarantine housing, so evacuees will not be sent to hospitals in the 
area for their tests.
  I appreciate my colleagues at the city who have been working overtime 
to keep their residents there safe. I am grateful to the administration 
for addressing our concerns and being responsive to those questions.
  On the very day we met, 90 evacuees were released from quarantine, 
and I am happy they are finally headed home. I am sure I am not as 
happy as they are after being quarantined. We owe a huge thank-you to 
the medical professionals who have and will continue to care for those 
in quarantine and to the Bexar County and San Antonio officials who are 
working to safeguard public health.