[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 3, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H1444-H1445]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 LEADERS DOING GREAT JOB ON CORONAVIRUS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Budd) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BUDD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to discuss the coronavirus.
  I want to reassure folks that since we first learned about this 
virus, our government has been very proactive in its response.
  The President took charge and assembled a task force, headed by the 
Vice President, that brought together the best and the brightest 
doctors, scientists, and health experts that our country has to offer.
  The President also took the crucial step of implementing a travel ban 
on China to slow down the spread of the outbreak within our borders.
  While our government is appropriately handling the spread of the 
coronavirus, our citizens can help as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone to go to cdc.gov, follow the latest 
developments, and learn about easy ways that you can avoid getting 
sick.
  America must always be ahead of the game on viral threats like these, 
and I am proud to say that our leaders are doing a great job.

                              {time}  1030


  Essential Support Faith-Based Organizations Provide for Communities

  Mr. BUDD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the essential 
support that faith-based organizations give to the communities around 
them, including during times of crisis.
  During Hurricane Florence, in 2018, volunteers from Samaritan's Purse 
were on the ground after the hurricane had devastated thousands of 
homes across my State.
  Lorraine Jenkins, a resident of New Bern, my mother's childhood home 
in North Carolina, said that she ``had faith but needed a little more 
strength'' when she returned to her home to find it flooded with 18 
inches of water. Thankfully, several volunteers from Samaritan's Purse 
were there to pray with Lorraine to give her the strength that she 
needed.
  During Hurricane Dorian, in 2019, the Salvation Army provided over 
43,000 meals, 55,000 drinks, 25,000 snacks, and 48 full cleanup kits to 
victims.
  Mr. Speaker, faith-based organizations also provide key support 
services to children, many of whom are victims of the opioid crisis. 
This crisis has left over 92,000 children in foster care and in need of 
loving homes. Faith-based adoption agencies play a pivotal role in 
finding homes for these children.

[[Page H1445]]

  Sadly, despite the clear benefits faith-based organizations provide 
to the communities around them, there remains an ongoing push to strip 
them of Federal funding or to even shut them down for following their 
sincerely held religious beliefs. That is why, this week, I am 
introducing the Equal Treatment of Faith-Based Organizations Act, along 
with several of my colleagues.
  My bill codifies into law parts of the recently proposed HHS rule to 
ensure equal treatment for faith-based organizations. My bill reverses 
the discriminatory policy from the previous administration that 
required faith-based providers of social services to disclose their 
religious affiliation and refer potential clients to other providers. 
My bill also allows faith-based organizations to apply for Federal 
funding on equal footing with secular organizations.
  Mr. Speaker, the Federal Government has no business discriminating 
against faith-based organizations purely on the basis of their 
sincerely held religious beliefs. I am proud to lead this legislation 
and to protect the good work that faith-based organizations do every 
day.

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