[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 44 (Thursday, March 5, 2020)]
[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.

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