[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 67 (Tuesday, April 7, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E354-E355]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          MIDDLE CLASS HEALTH BENEFITS TAX REPEAL ACT OF 2019

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. NEAL P. DUNN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 27, 2020

  Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, oftentimes, when both sides of the aisle 
acknowledge that a bill is not perfect, it ultimately means it is 
actually quite good. With that said, I do want to highlight some 
specific concerns that I have with provisions in this bill, both in 
their direct effects, and also the future precedent that they may set.
  Historically there is little evidence that direct to consumers 
stimulus checks have a significant impact on the economy or that they 
lead to the kind of spending necessary to counteract an economic 
downturn. The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 (signed February 13, 2008) 
provided $600 checks to individuals and cost $168 Billion. A study by 
the Bureau of Labor statistics later showed that, ultimately, nearly 70 
percent of recipients either used the money to pay off existing debt, 
or simply put it into savings. Those are not activities that stimulate 
the economy, and unsurprisingly that effort failed to stop a four 
percent contraction in GDP, the loss of over eight million jobs, and 
the worst overall economic disaster since the great depression. 
Overall, I believe that this bill will help us to avoid the same fate, 
but that will be due to other more robust provisions that acknowledge 
the importance of our small businesses and job creators in the private 
sector.
  The incentive and ability for anyone, regardless of their 
circumstances, to work hard and improve their life is a fundamental 
tenet of the American dream. It is essential that we do not allow this 
stimulus payment to serve as a pilot program for a Universal Basic 
Income, as some have suggested. Furthermore, it is true that this bill 
will at times create a situation where some people could actually earn 
more money by filing for unemployment if furloughed than they would by 
staying in the workforce. We must acknowledge the potential for this to 
set a damaging precedent.
  This bill provides robust funding for our nation's hospitals and some 
needed flexibility in the telehealth space to ensure Americans, 
particularly seniors, are able to visit with their doctors in the 
lowest risk setting possible. I was disappointed however in the lack of 
a

[[Page E355]]

specific carve out that acknowledges the unique challenges faced by our 
rural hospitals, like the many that serve Florida's second district. I 
was also disappointed that the bill does not provide statutory relief 
for those who may not have video phone capabilities required to meet 
reimbursement criteria for telehealth visits. It is my understanding 
and hope however, that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid services 
will be able to provide adequate guidance to allow for ``audio only'' 
visits.
  I believe that the $9.7 Billion provided to Secretary Sonny Perdue to 
aid our agriculture industry is a good first start, but ultimately more 
resources will need to be made available in the near future. Recent 
volatility in the global trade markets and natural disasters, combined 
with an already weakened Agriculture economy mean our producers need 
help now more than ever. It is my hope that we can provide additional 
relief to our farmers, ranchers, and foresters suffering from this 
crisis soon.
  Finally, in an effort to protect the safety of this legislative body, 
this bill was largely negotiated by a few individuals within our 
leadership and the Administration. Their work, especially given the 
fact that they willingly put their own health at risk, is commendable. 
However, this came at the cost of a lack of input from the vast 
majority of our constituents and led to the inclusion of funding 
priorities that should have been debated over the course of the regular 
appropriations process. Programs like the National Endowment for the 
Arts, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Institute of Museum and 
Library Services, and the Kennedy Center total hundreds of millions of 
dollars in this bill. We must ensure that any future relief package is 
entirely focused on the Coronavirus relief, and that vital resources 
are directed in the most effective way possible.

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