[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 80 (Tuesday, April 28, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E398]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              AMERICA'S GLOBAL LEADERSHIP DURING COVID-19

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM R. KEATING

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 28, 2020

  Mr. KEATING. Madam Speaker, the COVID-19 pandemic we face today has 
made it abundantly clear how truly connected to one another we all are 
and how widely our connections span the globe. This pandemic is the 
greatest global challenge we have faced since World War II and 
cooperation has never been more important.
  As Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee for Europe, 
Eurasia, Energy and the Environment, it has been one of my top 
priorities to strengthen and support our transatlantic alliance. 
Together, the United States and our friends and allies in Europe have 
worked side by side to tackle challenges while advancing democratic 
values. Through our NATO alliance and as members of multilateral 
institutions like the United Nations and the World Health Organization, 
we have consistently worked together to maximize our resources to 
address shared security threats.
  Now as we face the COVID-19 pandemic, our cooperation today is more 
important than ever. Although it has caused many to look inward and 
focus on those in our own communities, it is critical to remember that 
the threat from COVID-19 will not end once we have flattened the curve 
here at home. If we fail to rally support and resources for countries 
struggling with COVID-19 abroad, especially developing countries and 
countries marred by conflict, we risk this disease once again finding 
its way to our shores. Beyond the disease itself, we will face threats 
from the security and economic conditions COVID-19 is already leaving 
in its wake including famine, a global recession, and heightened 
instability and the extremism that often follows it.
  However, we must also remember that we don't have to go it alone and 
that in fact we are stronger in meeting our shared challenges when we 
work together. We can learn from each other to better understand the 
pathology of COVID-19 and how we may ultimately begin safely reopening 
our economies. We can share resources to ensure all of our medical and 
health personnel have access to personal protective equipment, 
ventilators and other medical devices, and eventually to vaccines as 
well. We can work together to debunk myths and combat disinformation so 
our communities are not misled by malign actors. Our NATO alliance is 
already working to coordinate these kinds of assistance and we must 
build on these successes to be most effective in ending this pandemic 
for good.
  We are capable of meeting this challenge if we do so together, and 
for that, American leadership is crucial. We have seen American 
leadership raise critical resources to fight pandemics in the past and 
improve the effectiveness of multilateral institutions like the World 
Health Organization. If we cede this leadership role, we relinquish our 
ability to shape a safer, more secure future for all Americans, their 
families and friends overseas, and the myriad business and educational 
opportunities they have created together to grow the global economy and 
connect so many communities all around the world. Only together with 
our friends and partners, can we rise to meet this unprecedented 
challenge so that we may soon reunite with our loved ones, safely 
reopen our economies, and return to the lives we once knew.

                          ____________________