[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 10, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H1563]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              CORONAVIRUS

  (Mr. HIGGINS of New York asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. HIGGINS of New York. Mr. Speaker, the coronavirus is a public 
health crisis in need of a strong, clear, and consistent response from 
Washington. The only way to stop the economic damage is to stop the 
spread of the virus and to keep people from getting sick and dying.
  Paid sick leave should be extended to 32 million Americans who 
currently do not have it. A onetime Federal tax credit could offset the 
cost of universal paid leave to help stop the spread of the virus. 
Public health costs for testing and treatment at the local and State 
level should be assumed by the Federal Government for spending on the 
crisis response.
  Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Institute and Erie County Health 
Department in my community are doing that today at enormous expense and 
dwindling resources.
  Every dollar spent on public health provides an economic boost. The 
time to stimulate the economy is after the virus has been controlled. 
Once that occurs, we need to go big on infrastructure to inject both 
growth and confidence in the American economy again.

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